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ꫂ᭪݁ chary she/her 23 latina aquarius
blog dedicated to the one and only michael jackson ˚.🪽 ᵎᵎ minors do not interact due to +18 one shots and fics soon to be posted
u can also find me here
twitter . 𓂃 ࣪ ִֶ tiktok
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀CHAPTER 5.
beneath the small dirt hill, the land stretched out even farther. michael hadn't climbed down carefully or hesitated for a second before sliding down it. he turned back to look at me from below, one hand slightly raised as he offered it to me.
“come on.” he said again. i looked down at the slope once more. it wasn't steep, not really, but it was enough to throw off my balance and maybe make me fall.
i didn't have time to decide whether it was a good idea or not because michael had already climbed a few steps back up, closing the distance between us.
“don't overthink it." he said, as if he could read my face with ease. “it's just a little hill.”
“i'm not overthinking. i just don't wanna fall.”
before i could say anything else, michael took my hand, but he didn't pull me. he just stood there looking at me with that little smile that always made my knees weak. then i squeezed his hand.
when i took my first step down, i immediately felt the ground shift beneath my feet. the dirt gave way slightly under my shoes and instinctively i leaned toward him. he let out a short laugh when i nearly lost my balance halfway down.
“you're good, you did good.” he said, with me still stumbling against his chest, trying to steady myself by holding onto him.
once we finally reached solid ground, i slowly let go of his hand. the silence felt different down there and the wind didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular. it simply slipped through the stacked tires and old structures, stirring our hair.
after we looked at each other for a few moments, michael started walking toward the side of the track, where the bleachers cast a shadow and the heat wasn't quite as relentless.
“you hungry?” he asked again as he sat down effortlessly on the bleachers beneath the shade of the metal roof.
“i know you are.” that earned another quiet laugh from him. he held out his hand again to help me sit beside him, then he opened the convenience store bag, unscrewed his bottle of orange juice and set it on the bleacher between his legs.
the concrete was warm at first but the shade made it bearable. then i looked around the huge place once again, suddenly wondering how he knew about it if he wasn't from here, how he'd ended up here.
i did the same, though i was still trying to process that we were actually here. he was eating some of his trail mix and offered me a handful, which i accepted. he dropped a few into my palm.
“so, how long have you been coming here?” i finally asked, tossing a few of the snacks into my mouth.
“hmm.” he thought for a second, chewing a few himself. “a while.”
i waited for more of an explanation, but none came, so i simply looked at him for a few seconds.
“that's all i'm getting?”
michael gave a small shrug. “that's the truth. i've been coming here for a while.”
he seemed completely serious and set on his answer, so i decided not to ask again. at least not for now, because i knew that eventually he'd have to tell me everything he was hiding.
“try it.” he said, nodding toward the sandwich still sitting inside my bag. “the sandwich.”
the corner of my mouth lifted again as i opened my bag, glancing at him from the corner of my eye while unwrapping the plastic from the sandwich.
“it's not what you think it is. we sell these at the gas station too.”
with his eyes fixed on me, i took a bite of the turkey sandwich. the texture was exactly what i expected, though he was right, the meat tasted more frozen than it did like turkey. of course, i wasn't about to tell him that. still, it was edible.
“it's good.” i said after swallowing.
michael laughed again. “you're lying.”
“i'm not!” i replied, unable to stop laughing too. “try it yourself.”
i held the sandwich out to him as i brushed a few crumbs from my mouth with the back of my hand. michael looked at it for a few seconds before taking it with obvious hesitation. he took a small bite and chewed, his brow immediately furrowing, though he kept chewing anyway.
he eventually swallowed, wearing an expression that only made me laugh harder as he stared down at the sandwich in his hand.
“this is terrible, viviana.”
i playfully smacked his shoulder and he took another bite, making me immediately snatch it back out of his hand.
“then why do you keep eating it?”
“i paid for it. you better finish the whole thing.”
a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he could hide it.
for the first time since i’d met him, he seemed completely at ease, no longer looking over his shoulder or keeping tabs on everything around him. and honestly, i’d be lying if i said i didn’t feel just as relaxed, being away from everyone and sitting here beside him.
michael must’ve noticed me getting lost in my thoughts. he watched me for a moment longer than usual before resting his forearms on his knees.
“so." he said. “what would’ve happened if you hadn’t seen me from that window?”
i turned to look at him as i unscrewed the cap of my water bottle.
“what do you mean?”
he lifted one shoulder slightly.
“i don’t know. looked like you weren’t expecting me to actually show up.”
i took a sip of water before answering, screwing the cap back on.
“i thought you’d forgotten, since we never agreed on a time or place.”
michael let out a quiet laugh through his nose as he slowly turned the half-empty bottle of orange juice between his hands.
“you really thought i was just gonna leave that up to chance?”
that made me press my lips together to hide a smile. so he’d wanted to be alone with me just as much as i’d wanted to be alone with him. i tried to disguise it by taking another couple of bites of my sandwich.
“it’s kind of impossible to ignore that bike of yours.” was all i said in response.
the small, satisfied smile that spread across his face gave him away.
the wind drifted through the bleachers, sending a few abandoned papers skittering across the track. in the distance, the asphalt shimmered beneath the afternoon heat.
“so what?” he asked at last. “you would’ve just gone home with him if i hadn’t shown up?”
“no, i wouldn’t. that’s probably for the best.”
“why?”
michael finally looked away from the track and back at me, idly turning the bottle between his hands. i never would've imagined he'd be this interested in hearing about tony. maybe it was genuine curiosity, the same kind i had about his life.
if the roles had been reversed, i knew i would've been unbearable about it, so i decided not to blame him.
“we argued last night.” i shrugged, staring off into the distance for a moment. “i don’t wanna see him.”
“must’ve been a hell of an argument,” he said. “you don’t strike me as someone who likes losing an argument.”
he was good at reading me, because he was right. i didn’t actually like arguing but i hated losing one even more when i was already irritated, as had been the case with tony. months of frustration had finally piled up.
“yeah, i don’t. but neither does he.”
michael fell silent and out of the corner of my eye i caught him pressing his lips together for a moment, as if debating something with himself before finally voicing it.
“how much of that argument was my fault?”
a chuckle slipped out as i turned to look at him.
“don’t flatter yourself.”
“hey, i’m serious.”
“you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“i just don’t think he bought the story that i’m just a guy from school. i don’t think he likes me very much.” he said.
“really? what gave it away?” i asked, raising an eyebrow, my voice laced with sarcasm.
it was obvious. tony had always been the jealous type, even when i gave him no reason to be.
“just a feeling.”
a light scoff escaped me before i could stop it.
“he doesn’t like anyone anyway.”
michael took one last sip of his juice before setting the bottle back down beside him.
the wind stirred a few loose strands of my hair and for a few seconds we simply watched the track without feeling the need to fill the silence. he seemed to decide not to ask about tony any further.
“what are you studying?” he asked suddenly, genuinely catching me off guard.
i shifted slightly where i sat.
“uh... business.”
“business?” he repeated.
“what’s wrong with business?”
“nothing. i’m just trying to figure out how someone like you ended up studying business.”
i let out a quiet laugh, trying to hide both my curiosity and my discomfort at what he'd just said.
“someone like me?”
“i don’t know. you just don’t seem like someone who belongs behind a desk.”
michael was the first person to say that to me since i'd started college. everyone else congratulated me, encouraged me to keep going and told me i'd do a great job taking over the family business someday.
it was one of the reasons i kept my lie alive, even as it grew heavier on my shoulders with every passing day. his words made me realize he saw something different when he looked at me. for the first time in a long while, i felt exposed, maybe even seen.
“what do i look like to you?”
when i turned to look at him, michael didn't answer right away.
“like you have a free spirit and don’t belong locked in an office.”
i looked at him for a little longer than i should have. a quiet but deep sigh slipped from my lips, one i hadn't even realized i'd been holding. this was the wrong moment to fall into another rabbit hole about my life.
then michael reached up and gently brushed my chin with his fingertips for a second before standing, not giving me the chance to say anything else. he dusted his hands against his pants and nodded toward the other end of the lot, where the car i'd noticed earlier still sat beneath the metal awning.
“come on.”
“where are we going?”
his smile widened, almost seeming to glow beneath the afternoon sun.
“i wanna show you something else.”
he was already making his way down the short dirt steps toward the track, glancing back to make sure i was following. i got to my feet and carefully made my way down after him, taking his hand again when he offered it.
after i'd finished the last bite of my sandwich, michael tossed our trash into a nearby bin. i was never going to admit that the more i ate that sandwich, the stranger it started to taste. i'd take that to my grave out of pure pride.
“this is yours?” i asked once we stopped in front of the car.
“yeah.” he said as he walked around it as though he were seeing it for the first time. “isn’t she pretty?”
i frowned slightly, trying to hold back a laugh.
“she? it’s a car.”
“don’t listen to her, veronica." he murmured, leaning toward the car and resting a hand on the roof.
that was enough to make me laugh, covering my mouth so it wouldn't come out too loud.
his hand slid across the roof almost absentmindedly, and from the way he looked at it, i realized it probably meant a great deal to him. that had to be why it was so meticulously polished and cared for. there was something incredibly familiar in the way he looked at it and i couldn't help wondering how many stories he had with this car.
michael told me it was a buick grand national from just last year, what some people called the dark horse of '87, faster than any corvette from the past few years. i decided not to ask how much it must've cost him.
“so you race with it?” i asked, standing a little closer to the car after listening to him talk about it with so much admiration. “it’s the coolest car i’ve ever seen.”
michael reached for the passenger-side handle and pulled the door open. then he stepped back slightly, one hand still resting on the top of the open door.
“wanna see what she can do?”
there was something strangely inviting and attractive about the confidence in his voice and the look on his face as he held the door open for me. the interior was just as spotless as the outside, with black seats and a dark dashboard polished to perfection.
i raised an eyebrow before sliding into the passenger seat. he closed the door with care, then jogged around the front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat.
inside, it smelled like his cologne mixed with the leather upholstery. without thinking, i quietly inhaled before letting out a slow breath, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the details of the door panel.
michael slipped the key into the ignition and the engine came to life instantly, rumbling before he even touched the accelerator. a pleased smile spread across his face the moment it did.
“hear that?” he said, without taking his eyes off the road.
“sounds like an engine.” i teased him.
licking his curved lips, he shook his head as both hands settled on the steering wheel.
“hope you trust me enough, viv.”
his comment caught me off guard, so i looked over at him before instinctively searching for the seatbelt.
“where’s the seatbelt?”
“you won’t need it.” michael slipped his sunglasses back on after they'd been hanging from the collar of his shirt and released the parking brake. “hold on tight, mama.”
“stop saying—”
the car launched forward so suddenly that i was thrown back against the seat. the track rushed toward us in a blur of asphalt and sunlight. for one terrifying second, i was convinced we were going far too fast, but then michael shifted gears, and somehow we went even faster.
“oh my god!”
i grabbed the edge of the seat with one hand and the door with the other. michael looked entirely too pleased about it.
the first curve came up much sooner than i would've liked. instead of slowing down, michael steered right into it, the tires gripping the asphalt as the entire car leaned with the motion, making my stomach drop.
a scream escaped me before i could stop it, which only made him laugh.
whenever i drove home alone after work at night, there were times i'd press a little harder on the gas and make it home sooner than i should have. but more than that, i loved the feeling of freedom those few minutes gave me. doing it on a racetrack full of sharp turns was completely different. it didn't terrify me as much as the sudden burst of speed did.
when another curve approached, i didn't squeeze my eyes shut this time. the track unfolded ahead of us, and the car answered every movement of michael's hands as though it understood exactly what he wanted.
sunlight flashed across the windshield. and for the first time since we'd gotten into the car, i wasn't scared anymore. i was holding on because i didn't want it to end. before i knew it, i was smiling. when michael accelerated down the longest stretch of the track, a laugh burst out of me so suddenly that it surprised both of us.
the next curve came even faster. stacks of old tires lining the edge of the track appeared in my line of sight, and instinctively i braced myself for the impact that never came.
michael turned the wheel with an almost insulting amount of confidence, and the car obeyed without hesitation. the engine growled as we came out of the turn before launching forward again. the wind rushed through the open windows, tossing my hair in every direction. i didn't even bother fixing it anymore. i was far too busy enjoying something i never thought i'd enjoy this much.
when we finally came to an abrupt stop after the last corner, a ridiculous wave of disappointment settled in my chest. michael rested an elbow on the back of his seat as he turned to look at me.
“so?” he asked.
“i'm just saying... maybe veronica really is that good.”
the look of pride on michael's face was so over-the-top that i burst out laughing before i could even finish my sentence. honestly, that seemed to please him more than anything else that had happened all afternoon.
after a few seconds of laughing, we found ourselves looking at each other again. he still had his sunglasses on, but i already missed seeing the sparkle in his eyes.
“why did you bring me here?” i asked out of pure curiosity, my voice softening without me even realizing it.
“you said last night that i knew more about you than you knew about me.” he shrugged lightly. “thought we could start changing that. wanted to show you this part of me.”
his voice softened more than i had ever heard before in the short time i'd known him. and i never imagined my words from the night before had stayed with him enough to make him show me something so personal, something that belonged entirely to him. naturally, my heart warmed almost instantly.
and it was because, in that moment, i realized i wasn't the only one who'd become so deeply interested in him. he was just as invested as i was. i lowered my gaze for a second, looking down at the steering wheel, still feeling the thrill from our lap around the track.
“i didn't think you actually listened.” i admitted.
a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“i do.”
the silence that followed was anything but uncomfortable. then my eyes drifted back to the steering wheel, then to the gear shifter.
“well, it's my turn.” i said.
michael laughed, shaking his head.
“yeah, absolutely not.”
i crossed my arms, turning almost completely toward him. i didn't mind letting him know i was offended by how little faith he had in me.
“why not? i know how to drive.” i protested.
“that's not what worries me. it's the fact that you've never driven anything like this.”
i hated when he was right. but that didn't mean i couldn't learn. i'd picked up plenty of tricks working on different cars with my dad when he taught me a bit about mechanics, though that definitely wasn't something i planned on telling him anytime soon.
instead, i leaned across the center console and carefully slipped his sunglasses off his face before settling back into my seat and putting them on myself.
he simply stayed still, watching me.
“you scared a girl drives better than you did your first time?” i raised an eyebrow and held out my hand, waiting for him to give me the keys.
he seemed to think it over for a second before finally pulling the keys from the ignition after shutting the engine off and placing them in the palm of my hand.
“don't make me regret it.”
after climbing out, i walked around the front of the car while he did the same from the other side, ending up in the passenger seat. as we crossed paths in front of the hood, michael lifted one hand slightly.
“be nice to veronica, okay?” he said before climbing into the car, making me roll my eyes to keep from laughing before slipping into the driver's seat.
the steering wheel felt different from there, maybe bigger and heavier, as if the car changed depending on who was sitting behind it.
michael waited for me to adjust the seat before pointing at the rearview mirror.
“might be a little higher.”
i did as he said, adjusting it until it matched my line of sight, then i straightened the seat and settled into it properly. michael looked noticeably more tense sitting where i had been just moments before.
“both hands on the wheel.” he said.
“can you relax? i have my own car.”
then i turned the key.
the engine came back to life with the same deep growl that had made me smile the first time i'd heard it. michael rested an arm on the open window and let out a slow breath, as if trying to convince himself everything would be fine.
“okay... just go easy on the throttle.”
i eased off the clutch carefully and the car started rolling forward, much slower than he'd driven it, the track opening up in front of us. the car definitely felt far more modern and powerful than mine and somehow that only made me like it even more than i should have.
i took a deep breath.
“relax.” michael said, his calm tone completely at odds with the way he'd been driving just minutes earlier. “don't fight the wheel.”
just to prove him wrong, i pressed the accelerator on impulse. the car lurched forward so suddenly that it threw michael back against his seat this time.
i screamed purely from the rush of adrenaline, taking the first corner much tighter than i probably should have.
the car answered with another growl as we shot out of the turn and this time i was the one who felt that familiar jolt of adrenaline racing through my chest.
“easy, viviana!” michael grabbed the handle above the window as i took the next corner with far more enthusiasm than technique.
i kept accelerating down the longest straight on the track, feeling the engine respond every time i pushed my foot down a little farther. it was completely different, nothing like driving through the streets of odessa.
out here there were no traffic lights, no signs, no one telling me how fast i could go and no people recognizing me on the street. there was just wind and clouds of dirt flying from the tires every time they slid, with a horizon that seemed to grow wider with every passing yard.
“left!” michael warned.
i turned just a little too late. the car entered the corner much more violently than any of his had, kicking up a cloud of dust when one of the tires caught the edge of the dirt.
a loud laugh burst out of me. michael shook his head, though the smile never left his face for even a second.
the sun slowly sinked behind the empty bleachers, painting the asphalt in warm shades of orange that reflected across the black hood. the shadows stretched longer with every passing minute. the air, which had been scorching only a few hours earlier, was finally beginning to cool.
we went around again. and then again.
with each lap i braked a little less and the steering wheel felt lighter in my hands. every now and then i'd hear michael say, “good,” or “that's it,” or he'd correct me by only a few inches before a corner, but he spoke less and less because he didn't need to anymore.
when i crossed the main straight one last time, i lifted my foot off the accelerator on my own. the engine's growl gradually faded as the car coasted a few more yards on momentum alone. i looked up through the windshield.
the sunset had painted the entire western sky in shades of orange, pink, and violet, the colors reflecting across the glass. michael followed my gaze before looking back at me.
“i know where we can find a better view.” he said, making me turn to him again.
once we'd switched places again, he took the wheel and drove off the track, hooking his sunglasses back onto the collar of his shirt. the dirt road disappeared behind us as the colors in the sky deepened with every passing minute.
he drove unhurriedly along a nearly empty back road before turning onto a narrow path that ended at a small rise. from there, a lake stretched out beneath the fading light of the sunset.
there wasn't another soul around, just the water moving lazily beneath the breeze and the distant sound of insects beginning to emerge with the coming night. i never imagined there was a lake this beautiful so close to my hometown.
michael parked the car near the edge of a small natural rise before shutting off the engine. a light breeze drifted through the open windows, carrying away the warm scent of asphalt and leaving behind nothing but damp earth and fresh water.
he was the first to get out. closing the door gently, he walked around the front of the car, slipping the keys into his pocket as he glanced out toward the lake before opening the door for me.
the ground sloped gently downward, covered in dry grass and small rocks that crunched beneath our shoes. the lake grew larger with every step we took, so still it was difficult to tell where the water ended and the reflection of the sky began.
a few yards ahead stood a small wooden dock. michael stepped onto the first few planks as though he'd been there dozens of times before. i hesitated for a second, so he reached out with both hands to help me up.
i glanced down at the water through the narrow gaps between the boards before following him. the whole place felt so peaceful that i didn't even worry about whether the dock would hold.
the weathered planks, worn down by years of water and time, creaked softly beneath the breeze, stretching several yards out over the lake before ending at a square platform where a small boat had probably once been tied. by the time we reached the end, the wind had picked up.
i brushed my hair away from my face as i looked around. michael rested his forearms against the railing and fixed his gaze on the horizon, seeming to have no rush to say anything. and honestly, neither did i.
i stepped beside him, leaving only a few inches between us. the breeze kept catching loose strands of both my hair and his, forcing me to tuck mine behind my ear over and over again.
“you know a lot of places here. more than i do.” i commented quietly, as though someone else might hear us.
“well, i've had time to explore it. you have a beautiful hometown.” he replied in the same soft tone. “i come here when i need to think.”
“i thought you were gonna take me to another loud place.”
without taking his eyes off the horizon, he said, “if i only showed you the loud parts, you'd get the wrong idea.”
i looked at him then, curious. the orange glow was beginning to disappear behind the hills, giving way to a deep blue sky streaked with soft shades of pink reflected across the water.
the first distant lights began flickering on along the opposite shore.
“and what's the right idea?”
michael shrugged lightly.
“you'll have to figure it out.”
the honesty in his answer caught me off guard. now that we were finally alone, in the moment i'd been hoping for all day, the urge to kiss him grew almost impossible to ignore.
“i would love to. more than you think.” i admitted.
he turned to look at me, finding my eyes already fixed on his. neither of us spoke again.
the distance between us was much smaller than before, though neither of us seemed to have closed it on purpose. the breeze carried a loose strand of my hair across my face.
before i could brush it away, michael slowly lifted his hand, almost cautiously. his fingertips barely grazed my temple as he tucked it behind my ear. the gesture was so gentle that, for an instant, neither of us seemed to breathe.
his hand lingered there, lightly brushing my cheek. my heart pounded against my ribs and i was afraid he'd notice how nervous i was. even so, i took a small step closer. michael calmly closed the remaining distance between us, and when his lips finally met mine, the rest of the world seemed to fade away around me.
i melted into his arms and he immediately slipped his free hand to my waist, drawing me just a little closer. i parted my lips slightly and tilted my head to deepen the kiss, he slid his hand from my cheek to the back of my head to cradle me there. my hands tightened around the sides of his jacket at his waist.
it was the first time in a long time that i'd truly felt alive.
his lips moved perfectly against mine, the warmth of his body radiating into mine, and for one brief moment, i wasn't sure i'd be able to pull away. i gently caught his lower lip between my teeth. he let out a quiet groan before playfully returning the gesture against mine.
then he wrapped both hands around my waist and guided me back until i was resting against the dock's railing. i parted my lips again to deepen the kiss as his hands slowly traced the small of my back, and i slipped my fingers into the soft curls at the nape of his neck.
i was pinned between the railing and his body, which somehow felt even larger than it had only minutes before. we finally pulled apart at the same time to catch our breath, our noses brushing softly together, making us both smile.
he never loosened his hold around my waisd and i made no effort to step away.
“so…” i murmured in a barely audible voice.
“yeah.” he replied, making me laugh softly. he did the same.
shortly after, we stayed sitting at the edge of the dock with our feet hanging over the clear water. as it got darker, the cold appeared and he made me put on his jacket, filled with his cologne and completely warm. he was left wearing only a white t-shirt underneath.
in silence, we admired the sunset painting the sky, my head resting on his shoulder without a single inch between us. i wanted to take his hand but we only managed to brush against each other’s fingers over our legs.
i lost track of time after that, the sky had almost completely darkened. the orange of the horizon slowly disappeared behind the hills, leaving a deep blue that was beginning to fill with the first stars.
in the distance, some lights reflected over the lake like tiny trembling lines. michael let out a sigh while i kept my eyes closed.
“we should probably get you back.”
disappointment filled my chest again as soon as i remembered that this wasn’t my reality but an escape from it. and in michael’s voice, i could tell it was something he felt he had to do more than something he wanted to do.
he was right. carol was probably wondering where i was and who i was with and i had to figure out another big lie to add to the endless list i already had. a deep sigh left my lungs and i nodded, finally opening my eyes.
we stood up almost at the same time, michael helping me by taking my hand again. the wood of the dock creaked beneath our steps as we walked back, this time slower.
every now and then our hands brushed against each other by pure coincidence. or maybe it wasn’t so much of a coincidence anymore, because neither of us made an attempt to pull away.
when the car appeared between the trees again, i stopped for a second to look at it. just a few hours ago it had seemed intimidating, but now it felt strangely familiar and comfortable. i could still feel the tingling of his lips, still couldn’t believe that had just happened.
michael opened the passenger door, but before i could get in, i felt his fingers searching for mine. i turned my head slightly when i realized he wanted to stop me before i got inside. he held my gaze for a few seconds before bringing a hand to my cheek and this time i didn’t hesitate to lean closer again, he did the same at the same time.
we kissed again and my stomach exploded once more with hundreds of restless, colorful butterflies. it was as if we both wanted to confirm that the first kiss had really happened, his hand held my cheek to keep me close and i hid a little against his chest, humming softly.
it felt like an accumulation of days where we had both wanted this since the moment we met, and on my part, that had been true.
when we pulled away, michael rested his forehead against mine for only a second before smiling.
“now you can get in.”
unable to erase my smile, i murmured back, “yes, sir.”
the drive back was completely different. the road was illuminated only by the car’s headlights and the occasional distant light. i rested my arm against the open window, letting the fresh air finish clearing my head. he had told me he knew the convenience store well enough to find his way back for the harley the next day.
every time i turned my head slightly, there he was, one hand on the steering wheel. the other rested calmly on the gear shift, quietly humming along to a song playing on the radio.
we spent the next forty minutes talking about music and the songs on the radio. he told me a little about his favorite stations and the songs that usually kept him company every day. he knew so much about it, and i felt even more drawn to him. i would never be able to properly process everything that had happened today.
when the first streets of odessa started appearing, he slowed down. a few minutes later, he stopped a block away from campus, close enough for me to walk there and for no one to see us together, even if it was almost ten at night.
he turned off the engine and silence settled between us again. i slowly unbuckled my seatbelt, looking at the huge campus building in front of us. putting my feet back on the ground was harder than i had imagined.
“thanks… for today.” i said, my voice coming out softer than i expected. “i’ve never had this much fun in my life.”
“i’m the one who’s gotta thank you.” he murmured back, locking his beautiful eyes with mine. “i’d like to take you to a race some time.”
that made me smile instantly, to the point where my cheeks started to hurt.
“that’d be awesome.”
i didn’t want to get out, i didn’t want to leave. i wanted to stay by his side and keep getting to know him beyond the cars and the races. i wanted to run away with him and never think about my life again. knowing it was impossible was slowly killing me inside.
“michael.” i started, with a hint of vulnerability coloring my voice. “i wanna see you again.”
he leaned over his seat, taking my hand and gently caressing it between his.
“we’ll see each other again, viv.” he brought my hand to his lips to leave a kiss on it, and then, from his pocket, he pulled out a small piece of paper, which he handed to me and i took. “it’s my phone number. i wanted to give it to you this morning.”
i quickly leaned over the seat to hug him tightly around the shoulders, leaving a kiss on his cheek. he wrapped both arms around me firmly, reacting a few seconds later, squeezing the paper between my hand.
“you promise i’ll see you again?” i murmured. he gripped the fabric of his jacket on my back.
“i promise. even if i have to find a way to see you.”
i held onto him at his words, and then pulled away to caress his cheek, giving him one more kiss on his lips.
unfortunately, it was shorter as i suddenly worried that someone might see us, even if it was late at night. still, my lips tingled against his. it felt like i wanted to memorize his taste and the feeling of him.
“goodnight, michael.” i said with our foreheads pressed together, and he left a kiss on mine.
“goodnight, viv.”
i opened the door and stepped out carefully, wrapping his jacket around my torso. he gave me one last beautiful smile before i closed the door and hurried toward the campus entrance.
i walked quickly toward campus without looking back, or at least that was what i tried to do. but before crossing the entrance, the impulse became stronger. i turned my head, finding the grand national still exactly where i had left it.
michael was still watching me from the driver’s seat. then i hurried inside again, and once i did, he started the car and i heard the tires moving over the asphalt as i climbed the stairs toward the dorm room.
before going in, i leaned against the door and sighed, looking up at the ceiling and letting out another sigh like a lovesick schoolgirl. the butterflies in my stomach were still fluttering endlessly, my smile appearing on its own on my lips, which i touched with my fingers, barely brushing them.
i was sure i would never be the same after that night. something inside me that i thought had been buried came alive again and then i looked at his number in my hands once more. maybe it was time to forget about all those lies and start living my real life.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
n/a: here it is!!! ngl chat, i missed my babies so much and IM SORRY for leaving you for so long but we’re back, promise i won’t take this long to update a new update ever again
i appreciate your patience as i worked on it. hope you liked it, love u forever xoxo
𝓽aglist:
@1lvie , @pyt03 , @gissellec1 , @beesonnets , @tojiswifeforlife , @triippy2hiippie , @maria111444 , @oopsalltropes , @rosali3show , @angeleface , @ovohanna24 , @madisonsstyles , @multixtingzz , @ksavamp , @l00stang3l , @madsreading , @whirlwindmarley
𝒎ichael’s piano solo
𝓽ype: one shot
𝒑airing: maestro!michael jackson x teacher!fem!reader
𝓼ummary: when a storm leaves you stranded at michael’s mansion, you discover that the quiet music teacher from school is far more interesting than you ever imagined. but as the night unfolds, it becomes clear that michael has been hiding a secret for a while now.
𝓬w: supernatural themes, romantic tension, kissing, blood mention, minor injury/blood, slow burn, age gap, storm, coworkers to lovers-ish, mild horror elements.
𝔀ord count: 5.9k
the daylight had already begun to fade beyond the tall windows of the school when the final bell rang, making the old building seem darker than it actually was.
perhaps it was the ivy crawling across its stone walls or the ancient oak trees surrounding the property which gave that impression. whatever the reason was, it made the halls often feel more like the corridors of a university from another century than those of a middle school.
you hadn’t minded. in fact, it was one of the reasons you’d accepted the position.
there had been something appealing about leaving the city behind. something charming about quiet mornings, large forests at the side of the street and students who still greeted their teachers by name.
or at least, that was what you’d told yourself and your family when you had moved alone to town recently. the reality was that adjusting had been more difficult than expected.
everyone knew everyone, entire families had lived there for generations. maybe still being the outsider was one of the most difficult things you had to face, almost each conversation started asking you if you were new in town.
outside your classroom window, you could see the dark clouds gathering over the woods. the rain had been threatening all afternoon, but it finally looked like it was happening. autumn storms arrived quickly in this town, you had heard.
after all of the students left, you stayed in class finishing a stack of essays when a knock sounded against your open door. the principal christmann walked in with a smile on his face and you smiled back when you saw him.
“there you are. shouldn’t you be going home?” he commented once he got to your desk.
“i’ve been asking myself the same question.” you said, which made him laugh softly.
“oh, before i forget.” the principal then carefully placed a folder tucked beneath his arm on your desk. “this is the recital paperwork. mr. jackson left it in the conference room.”
you nodded as he spoke, already having an idea of what he wanted.
“could you leave it in his office before you go?”
“yeah, sure.”
christmann smiled gratefully.
“you’ll be saving my sanity. that recital has aged me at least five years over the past month and he needs those to finish whatever he needs to do.” he sighed as he fixed his brown blazer over his torso.
you had only spoken to mister michael jackson a handful of times since arriving in town. he was a very sweet man, one of the few who had welcomed you when you arrived at the school as the new literature teacher and the one who always seemed to greet you with a smile whenever he saw you.
he was charming, with a kind of beauty you had never seen outside of movies or works of art. at the same time, he was a solitary man who, despite being friendly, kept his distance from others and seemed to prefer being left alone. no one truly knew him.
however, he was perhaps the most respected teacher at the school. you had heard that his students adored him and enjoyed his music classes more than any others. you had also heard that michael became an open book whenever it came to sharing his knowledge with them.
it wasn't something you could verify yourself when most of your interactions consisted of exchanging greetings in the hallway or brief conversations after staff meetings. even so, several people had told you that you were the person they had seen him talk to the most.
he moved through the hallways with an almost dazzling grace, carrying himself with the straightest posture imaginable. talking to him had become something of a guilty pleasure. even if your conversations were never particularly long, you enjoyed every moment and every sweet compliment that left his lips.
“don't worry about it, mr. christmann.”
with that, he wished you a pleasant rest of your day and disappeared back into the hallway. you let out a deep sigh when you realized the school had emptied out faster than usual.
without noticing, you had become completely absorbed in grading papers and planning tomorrow's lesson.
maybe it was time to go home, you thought. you could finish grading the essays from the comfort of your house while staying out of the rain, and if you kept delaying, you knew there was a good chance the storm would catch you on the way.
quickly gathering your things, you carefully stuffed the papers into your bag, grabbed your coat and headed toward the parking lot, not before making sure you hadn't forgotten anything on your desk.
the moment you stepped outside the school, the wind felt much colder than it had that morning. it had picked up considerably and leaves skittered across the pavement in frantic circles while distant thunder rolled somewhere beyond the trees.
you hurried toward your car, tossing your belongings onto the passenger seat once you were inside. with a sigh, you rearranged the papers more neatly after taking off your coat, only to notice a folder buried at the bottom of the stack.
jackson's recital papers.
you had completely forgotten to leave them in his office in your rush to get ahead of the approaching rain. you sighed tiredly, telling yourself you'd give them to him first thing tomorrow morning. you were already far too exhausted to even consider going back.
the rain began about fifteen minutes after you’d pulled onto the road. at first, you figured it was only a drizzle and wouldn’t amount to much despite the forecast, hoping it would give you enough time to make it home safely. but it slowly intensified into a steady downpour, far more aggressive than you’d expected.
the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the relentless drops and the tall trees on either side of the road blurred together, their branches bending beneath increasingly violent gusts of wind as visibility worsened by the minute.
still, you refused to give up. you were only just beginning to learn your way around the town, which meant you were navigating almost entirely from memory based on the routes you’d taken these past few weeks, not trusting your instincts or your exhausted mind, enough to improvise.
you slowed the car down but you didn’t stop, even when the road briefly disappeared behind a curtain of rain. you were driving painfully slow now, unable to see any lights besides the occasional flash that illuminated the trees whenever another bolt of lightning cracked somewhere in the distance.
the fact that you could barely see anything while crawling along a dark highway worried you. a few more minutes passed before you finally admitted defeat. pulling onto the shoulder seemed smarter than risking ending up in a ditch, so you carefully guided the car to the side of the road and let out a heavy breath once the vehicle came to a stop.
the rain hammering against the roof filled the silence alongside the soft hum of the engine. you exhaled deeply without letting go of the steering wheel. the whole reason you’d wanted to get home so badly was because you were starving and now there was no telling how long you’d have to wait for the storm to calm down. the daylight would be gone soon and you’d be stranded on a dark stretch of road.
a series of heavy drops suddenly made you lift your head, immediately turning toward the source of the sound. it was coming from the driver window, the inside of the door was nearly soaked and water had already started dripping onto the seat.
of course, you’d also forgotten to get the window fixed before storm season arrived.
“no, no, no." you muttered under your breath, grabbing your coat and pressing it against the gap where the water was coming through. you left your arm braced there, applying pressure in a desperate attempt to keep any more rain from leaking inside.
another heavy sigh left your lips, and with your free hand, you rubbed at your face, the weight of the week settling heavily across your shoulders as you allowed yourself to close your eyes for a second. now the water seemed to be soaking through the fabric of your coat and in turn, the sleeve of your blouse but you couldn't let go of it or everything would get even wetter. you also tried to ignore the fact that there wasn't much fresh air left inside the car.
another crack of thunder shook the entire sky, making you pull your hand away from your face and lift your head, glancing around. when you noticed a blurry figure slowly approaching your car, you first thought it might be a trick of the rain or the distant flashes of lightning, so you blinked several times. the figure kept coming through the heavy downpour, moving slowly along a path you could barely make out.
that made you sit up straighter, your entire body tensed when the figure stopped beside the passenger-side window. you swallowed hard as your hand slowly moved toward the key in the ignition, ready to start the car again and drive off.
your exhaustion was feeding every trace of paranoia, probably. without looking directly at the person, you were about to turn the key when you heard a few gentle knocks against the window.
you froze for a moment while your stomach twisted almost painfully. then another set of knocks sounded against the glass and you shifted in your seat, noticing that whoever it was seemed to be holding an umbrella overhead. finally, after moving the paperwork onto your lap so it wouldn't get wet, you lowered the passenger-side window just a little.
the first thing you saw were those beautiful brown eyes, framed by perfectly shaped brows. you could've recognized them from miles away with how striking and unique they were. a sigh of relief slipped from your lips the moment you realized it was professor jackson and you lowered the window a little more despite the rain splashing onto the seat.
“good evening.” he said with a small smile, his voice carrying that same velvety that never seemed to rise more than necessary.
“jesus christ.” you breathed the second you recognized him, every muscle in your body finally relaxing.
that made his smile wider.
“i'm sorry, i didn't mean to scare you.”
a long coat, perfectly tailored across his shoulders, shifted gently with the wind. beneath it, you could make out the high collar of a white shirt and black trousers. his dark, perfectly curled hair fell over his shoulders, somehow making the rain seem irrelevant to him as he stood there beneath a large dark umbrella.
you tried to smile, attempting to look relaxed after the scare you'd just gotten, one you didn't particularly want to admit to.
“it's okay. i just didn't expect to see anyone out here.” you said, still breathing slowly enough that you hoped he wouldn't notice.
“well, i couldn't help noticing you sitting outside my house, so i wanted to see if everything was okay.”
his words made you frown.
“your house?”
michael stepped slightly aside to give you a better view. beyond an elaborate set of iron gates stood a massive mansion, connected to the very path you'd seen him walking down from. with the rain blurring the windows, you hadn't paid much attention to your surroundings, and even if you had, you never would've imagined someone actually lived in a place like that. that was when you realized you'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, you'd never seen that property before.
“that one right there.” he said, before stepping back into the spot where he'd been standing.
“oh, sorry, i hadn't realized it was there. i didn't mean to bother you.”
“quite the opposite.” he said immediately after your apology. “you might want to wait inside.”
when you didn't answer right away, he seemed to read the uncertainty in your expression as though he understood why you weren't sure it was a good idea. quickly, he added,
“just until the weather settles down.”
“i wouldn't want to impose...”
“you won't. i think it's better than sitting in a car that's slowly filling with rain.”
you glanced down at the arm still pressed against the window, trying to stop the leak. a small puddle had begun forming along the inside of the door where water kept slipping through the faulty seal, though you weren't entirely sure how he'd noticed it so quickly.
he had a point. if you stayed in there much longer, you were going to lose your mind and you really had nothing to lose.
you quickly rolled the passenger-side window back up and left the essays on the backseat as michael walked around the vehicle to wait for you outside with the umbrella.
you grabbed his folder before opening the door. the cold air and a few stray drops hit your skin instantly. before you could fully step out, michael shifted the umbrella over your head, moving closer to keep both of you covered. the path leading toward the mansion wasn't particularly narrow but somehow you still found yourself walking beside him rather than apart from him.
you held the folder against your chest to protect it. his arm remained draped across your shoulders, shielding you whenever a gust of rain tried to sneak beneath the umbrella. his body wasn't especially warm but it felt protective all the same.
you didn't look up until you realized just how enormous the house was from up close.
the stone steps leading to the front entrance glistened beneath the rain. ivy climbed sections of the facade, while tall windows reflected the occasional flashes of lightning streaking across the sky behind them.
michael opened the front door, and when you stepped inside, the storm became little more than a muffled murmur as he closed the door behind him.
the first thing you noticed was the warm scent that seemed to come from the countless books lining the shelves in the sitting room, accompanied by the soft crackling of a lit fireplace. the combination relaxed you almost instantly.
an antique chandelier hanging overhead was the next thing to catch your attention, casting a golden glow that illuminated the intricate carvings in the dark wooden walls. an elegant staircase curved toward the second floor, disappearing into hallways lit only by scattered lamps.
“you have such a beautiful house.” you said in a soft, near whisper as michael set the umbrella down by the front door.
“thank you.” he replied.
you could hear the light smile in his voice despite not looking at him, still too busy admiring every detail of the place, which you were fairly certain qualified as a mansion.
you noticed a massive grandfather clock standing against a wall lined with portraits. its hands moved with a gentle tick-tock that barely echoed through the room.
beyond the foyer, you could see open rooms filled with bookshelves, warm lamps and more antique furniture.
“can i ask how many people live here with you?” you asked, turning to look at him, still holding the folder against your chest.
he glanced up while carefully hanging his coat on a nearby rack, revealing a white long-sleeved shirt with delicate ruffled details at the cuffs.
“just me.”
his answer made you look around the enormous space once again.
“really? because this place is huge.”
you watched him give a small shrug as he made his way over to stand in front of you.
“well, i've had time to get used to it.”
a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the second-floor windows. for a fraction of a second, it looked as though a shadow crossed the upstairs hallway. but when you blinked, it was gone.
michael didn't seem to react and you decided not to mention it either. the last thing you wanted was to make things awkward. besides, the house felt genuinely cozy, certainly better than sitting in your car.
“can i get you something to drink?” his soft voice interrupted the brief silence.
“i'm okay, you don't have to.”
“tea?” he offered, his lips still faintly curved into a smile.
honestly, tea sounded wonderful. the problem was that you didn't want to inconvenience him in his own home.
“tea sounds good. thanks.”
michael nodded, and before heading in what you assumed was the direction of the kitchen, he added, “make yourself comfortable. i'll be right back.”
once he disappeared, you found yourself completely alone in a mansion so large you thought it might swallow you whole.
the silence inside the house felt different from the silence of any other home you'd ever visited.
your footsteps were slow as you wandered through the foyer. an enormous antique mirror occupied one wall while family portraits decorated another. some looked incredibly old, others less so and you found yourself wondering how many generations had lived there.
you stepped closer to examine one of them, studying a black and white photograph, then another and then another. there was a strange melancholy woven through all of them, yet there wasn't a single trace of michael in any of the pictures.
suddenly, a loud thud echoed from somewhere on the second floor, making you immediately lift your head. the silence that settled afterward made you frown.
when michael returned a few minutes later, he carried a silver tray holding two matching cups. steam rose slowly from the tea toward the glow of the chandelier overhead.
he set the tray down on the small coffee table in front of the red velvet sofas and handed one of the cups to you. you accepted it carefully, murmuring a ‘thank you.’
your body seemed grateful for the first sip of tea, especially your body temperature.
“i'm sorry. i was snooping.” you admitted, the rim of the cup brushing against your lips.
michael seemed to smile once again, his own cup still untouched in his hand.
“looking at photographs isn’t snooping.” his gaze drifted toward them before, saying, “it’s my family. some of them, anyway.”
his words gave you enough reassurance to look back at the various portraits.
“this house has been in your family for a long time?”
a slightly different expression crossed his face for a moment as though he had softened at the memory of something he didn’t mention.
“longer than you might realize.”
that made you fall silent for a moment, unsure whether you should ask one of the many questions already circling through your head as you took another sip of the tea, which tasted faintly of lavender or something similar. then your attention fell to the folder still clutched in your hands.
“oh, by the way. christmann told me to give you this, you left it in the conference room.” you handed him the folder, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders now that the responsibility was no longer yours. “looks important.”
michael set his untouched cup of tea down on the shelf beside the photographs and took the folder from your hands, his fingers barely brushing yours. he opened it and quickly looked through the contents.
“it absolutely is. i really appreciate it, y/n.”
his eyes remained locked on yours longer than you felt they should have. instead of feeling uncomfortable, you found yourself confirming once again that you had truly never seen a pair of eyes more beautiful than his. being around him even at work felt like constantly fighting the urge to cradle his handsome face in your hands and gently stroke his cheeks.
in a way, you liked knowing that michael didn’t live with a wife. it was difficult to imagine a man so polite, well-mannered and handsome having no one beside him to share such a massive house with.
another loud thud echoed somewhere in the distance, pulling you from your thoughts. you weren’t even sure whether it had come from upstairs like the previous one. your gaze drifted away from his and toward the staircase instead and he immediately seemed to notice the slight tension in your shoulders.
“did you hear that?” you couldn’t help asking this time.
“yeah, the house makes noises.” he said it so casually that he almost managed to convince you it was perfectly normal.
but when you looked back at him, you could’ve sworn you caught the briefest amused smile tugging at his lips, maybe enjoying your confusion a little too much.
“come on.” he said as he set the folder down on the same coffee table. “i’ll show you where all those noises come from.”
your first instinct was to ask whether he actually knew where they were coming from but michael had already turned around and started walking toward the staircase you’d been staring at.
without thinking too much about it, you left your empty teacup beside his untouched one on the shelf and followed after him. the dark wooden stairs creaked softly beneath his steps, and as you climbed, you caught that same scent from before growing stronger.
the hallways were lined with deep red carpets. framed portraits hung every few feet, built-in bookshelves filled sections of the walls and small tables were decorated with clocks, ornaments and even more photographs. michael walked ahead of you with almost flawless elegance, carrying himself with a calmness that seemed impossible to imitate.
“this place is amazing…” you commented, almost to yourself.
“thank you.” michael glanced back at you for a fraction of a second before looking forward again. “it’s older than it looks.”
“really? how old?” you asked, trying not to fall too far behind him.
“parts of it were built over a century ago.”
michael opened a door once you reached the end of the hallway, revealing a library. thousands of books filled shelves that stretched nearly to the ceiling, with a rolling ladder running along part of them. a fire crackled softly inside a marble fireplace while rain battered the tall windows and several armchairs sat gathered around the hearth.
it was, quite possibly, the most beautiful room you had ever seen.
he crossed the library without any apparent hurry while you followed close behind, watching as he approached one of the tall windows that occupied nearly an entire wall. the rain continued striking the glass while the wind whistled through the trees outside and that was when you noticed that one of the window panes had been left slightly open.
every time a stronger gust swept through the woods, the wood rattled against the frame, producing the very sound that had seemed far more mysterious from the other side of the mansion.
michael rested a hand against the window and gently closed it, making the noise disappear.
“that’s it?”
the slight embarrassment coloring your voice was difficult to hide as you remembered how tense the sound had made you. he turned his head toward you with the corner of his mouth lifting.
“were you hoping for a ghost?”
you shook your head, pressing your lips together and lifting your shoulders.
“don’t be silly, of course not.” was all you could manage to say.
“i’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
you heard him chuckle softly and you liked it far more than you should have.
while he secured the window latch, your attention drifted toward one of the nearby bookshelves. hundreds of books occupied the shelves, perhaps thousands. some looked so old it was difficult to imagine anyone touching them.
“you have quite a collection.” you said.
your fingers absentmindedly traced several spines before stopping on one particularly worn volume, one that appeared to be about history.
“i’ve never met someone who owns this many history books. it’s like people forgot about them.”
“well, that’s because people don’t read them anymore.” you heard his delicate footsteps approach until he was standing beside you in front of the bookshelf.
“i do.” you said as you turned to look at him and he looked at you at the same time.
“you like history? i thought you taught literature.”
“yeah, but the two go hand in hand.”
michael thought for a second before pulling a dark-covered book from the shelf. “then you’ve probably read this one.”
“i don’t think i have. what is it?”
you turned to open the volume michael handed you. before you realized it, the conversation started to flow naturally. you two moved from one book to another and then another.
michael seemed to know every shelf by memory, every author and every date as well. it was fascinating listening to him speak with a quiet passion you had never seen from him before. he was different from the man you saw at school every day. this version of him was more open, perhaps even more expressive.
eventually, you found yourself watching him more than the books spread across the coffee table, he really had a beautiful smile. little by little, the two of you ended up settled on one of the large sofas in front of the fire. an open book rested across your lap and another across his while you shared your thoughts and knowledge about whatever the other happened to mention.
before long, time lost its importance. it was comfortable, more comfortable than you had ever imagined you would feel around him. so comfortable that, at some point, your eyelids grew heavy without you noticing, once the two of you had settled into reading your own books in silence and occasionally making a comment about them.
your head slowly began to tilt to one side either, coming to rest against the back of the sofa.
──────────────────
when you woke up, the library was darker than before. disoriented, you stayed still for a few seconds as you looked around. the fire in the fireplace had been reduced to glowing embers and the book was still open on your lap.
you slowly blinked, sitting up carefully. michael was no longer there, making you realize that you were completely alone in the immense library. the window seemed to be making that noise again.
“michael?” your voice was barely audible. you stood up slowly, still rubbing your eyes with your knuckles, trying to shake off the sleep.
no answer came, so you decided to go look for him. the hallway felt like it was going to swallow you with its vastness, a couple of lamps were still on but not all of them. some shadows stretched across the walls and the sound of the window was even louder than when you arrived.
it seemed like the portraits were watching you from their places as you walked slowly. the mansion was beautiful but you couldn’t hide that it held something unsettling, especially for one person alone.
“michael?” you called for him again. you were so tense that the window and another, slightly sharper sound made you flinch.
when the silence returned, you heard a note in the distance followed by another. a piano sounded muffled somewhere, the melody drifting through the entire house. without thinking about it, you started following it.
you descended the stairs, regardless of how strange it felt to walk through someone else’s house on your own. you crossed a few more dark hallways at a quicker pace until you found a partially open door.
you pushed the door open gently when you realized the music was coming from there. michael was sitting in front of the piano, completely absorbed in playing. some sheet music rested open on the piano and the light from a lamp barely illuminated his beautiful profile.
you stood there watching him without saying anything, simply admiring the ease with which his fingers moved across the keys. then he looked up and stopped playing, smiling at you.
“didn’t mean to wake you.” he commented.
trying not to feel embarrassed, you shrugged slightly.
“no, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to fall asleep in your library.”
“i wouldn’t worry about it.” he said with a voice even softer than before. then he shifted slightly on the bench he was sitting on and patted the space beside him. “come sit.”
trying to hide the slight warmth in your cheeks, you walked over and sat beside him in front of the large, elegant piano. you noticed that the sheet music was inside the folder you had given him. but it was incomplete.
it seemed like michael noticed your eyes on it, because he quickly said, “i’m finishing it right now. it’s for the recital.”
then he started playing again. the melody felt familiar, you had heard some fragments of it during rehearsals but this time it sounded even more complete and melancholic. your eyes lowered to his hands, large and agile, playing each key with such natural ease that his talent became almost intimidating.
once the song ended, he turned to look for your eyes and you lifted yours to meet his. you were so close that it felt impossible to want to look away, his features seeming almost porcelain-like up close.
“you’re beautiful.” you murmured before you could stop the words. your cheeks began to burn again with a faint blush.
“i could say the same thing about you.” he said, his gaze lowering for a second before meeting your eyes again. “i don’t usually have company.”
you let the silence slip between you for a few seconds, noticing the softness of his lips at this distance.
“i don’t understand why.” you murmured. “you’re a very wonderful man.”
for the first time that night and in all the time you had spent getting to know michael, you noticed a certain shadow of hesitation in him when his attention fell to your mouth. and that was what finally convinced you, his small display of vulnerability and the fact that he wanted it just as much as you did.
your hand moved to gently brush against his on the bench, as if you were giving him permission. then he leaned in, capturing your lips with his. you both immediately moved against the contact, slow at first. a sigh escaped your mouth at his sweet taste and the smoothness of his movements.
michael cupped one of your cheeks with his hand to deepen the kiss, which made you tilt your head and part your lips slightly. he did the same, making the kiss deeper as one of your hands now caressed his chest. your stomach fluttered and your nerves were on edge, and you couldn’t help but melt in his arms at how well he kissed.
he sighed as the kiss gained speed and then depth. your head tilted the other way and you clung to his shirt. he then cradled the back of your head and you brushed the pads of your fingers over the bare skin of his chest. you bit his lower lip, which made him pull yours with extreme gentleness.
with the same care, he took your waist and shifted you, making you sit on the piano so he stood between your legs. a low gasp escaped your lips as your tongues brushed, searching for his to slowly entwine despite the urgency the kiss had taken while you stroked his cheek.
you felt a slight sting in your index finger suddenly, briefly recalling when one of the old pages of the book you’d been reading had grazed it and cut it slightly. then michael slowly pulled back, your lips tingled as he did.
his large hands rested on your thighs to keep them apart. you breathed heavily without saying anything for a few seconds until michael squeezed your legs.
“you’re bleeding.” he murmured.
then something wet on your finger caught your attention, a small red line crossing the tiny cut. he noticed it before even a drop of blood had the chance to gather on your finger.
“it must be a paper cut.” you said, absentmindedly wiping your finger with the thumb of the same hand.
but michael remained still and didn’t answer. you noticed his shoulders becoming tense and also that something about him had changed. his gaze remained fixed on a spot near your hand, almost giving the impression that he wasn’t breathing.
then you searched for his eyes, gently brushing your fingers along his chin. “michael, are you okay?”
he licked his lips and didn’t look at you again, only giving a small kiss to your hand while you still had it resting on his chin. his jaw was tightening, his silence started to worry you.
“michael…” when you called his name again, this time he lifted his gaze to yours. something in his eyes had changed, perhaps something darker now.
his eyes lowered back to your injured hand.
“i should get you something for that.” he mentioned and took a step back, walking toward the door.
“you don’t have to, it’s tiny.”
you lifted your hand to look at the cut, there was a little more blood quickly coming out because of the depth of the cut despite it being small. then a drop of the same size slid down your finger and michael stopped dead.
it looked as if he was fighting against himself, he closed his eyes for a fraction of a second while running a hand along his jaw. you suddenly felt cold at the absence of his body and then stepped down from the piano, hesitating whether you should walk toward him.
“did i do something wrong?” you asked, carefully wiping your finger on your clothes.
michael stayed frozen in that same position without turning to look at you, taking his time before answering.
“you should go home, y/n.”
that confused you, making you frown, also because his voice sounded slightly shaky.
“what?”
“it’s late.”
that was when you dared to take a step toward him and he immediately raised a hand behind him to signal for you to stop, which you did. but when he didn’t say or do anything else, you hurried to walk over until you were standing behind him.
you placed a hand on his shoulder, gently caressing it. you noticed that your touch made him tense up even more, however, you continued caressing him and tried to take his hand, which he squeezed as soon as you did.
“i wanna help you.” you murmured. “please.”
“you can’t.” he murmured back, without letting go of your hand. his skin had become noticeably colder than before, almost as cold as stone. “i just don’t want you to run away.”
that made your breath catch in your throat.
then michael slowly turned his head over his shoulder, his slightly parted lips revealing sharp, bright fangs, white and perfect.
he didn’t let go of your hand, even if you felt like your heart had stopped beating.
n/a: you guys have no idea how much i enjoyed writing this 😭 i love the ghosts short film with my entire heart and i love dark academia too, michael fits this concept so ridiculously well i couldn’t help it
the blood on the dance floor album was on repeat the entire week it took me to write this, so i really hope you enjoy it ♡
YAY AN UPDATE !! LOVEEEEE TO SEE IT !!
i must ask though, and so sorry, im not trying to be annoying or pushy or rude or demanding or anything like that at all, but will we be getting un update soon on wanted? 🤍
that fic has been on my mind because i just got home from a road trip and i stopped as sooooo many gas stations and all i could think about was this fic and about reader’s relationship with mj and im sooooo obsessed with their chemistry and with where this fic is going !! 😻
hi pretty angel !! it makes me so happy to know you love my fanfic as much as i do <3 and thank you so much for your message, it truly means the world to me
these past few weeks i’ve been focusing on writing some one shots of my own, which i’ve had so much fun working on. i’ve also been alarmingly obsessed with the ghosts short film lately so i ended up spending an entire week writing the maestro one shot
i definitely haven’t forgotten about wanted at all !! it’s still sitting in my drafts, i just need to finish writing the rest of the chapter, give it a quick review and refine a few things before posting it. it’s about halfway written already, so it should be up sometime later this week
thank you again for being so patient and for all the love you’ve shown the story, it genuinely motivates me more than you know ♡
𝒎ichael’s piano solo
𝓽ype: one shot
𝒑airing: maestro!michael jackson x teacher!fem!reader
𝓼ummary: when a storm leaves you stranded at michael’s mansion, you discover that the quiet music teacher from school is far more interesting than you ever imagined. but as the night unfolds, it becomes clear that michael has been hiding a secret for a while now.
𝓬w: supernatural themes, romantic tension, kissing, blood mention, minor injury/blood, slow burn, age gap, storm, coworkers to lovers-ish, mild horror elements.
𝔀ord count: 5.9k
the daylight had already begun to fade beyond the tall windows of the school when the final bell rang, making the old building seem darker than it actually was.
perhaps it was the ivy crawling across its stone walls or the ancient oak trees surrounding the property which gave that impression. whatever the reason was, it made the halls often feel more like the corridors of a university from another century than those of a middle school.
you hadn’t minded. in fact, it was one of the reasons you’d accepted the position.
there had been something appealing about leaving the city behind. something charming about quiet mornings, large forests at the side of the street and students who still greeted their teachers by name.
or at least, that was what you’d told yourself and your family when you had moved alone to town recently. the reality was that adjusting had been more difficult than expected.
everyone knew everyone, entire families had lived there for generations. maybe still being the outsider was one of the most difficult things you had to face, almost each conversation started asking you if you were new in town.
outside your classroom window, you could see the dark clouds gathering over the woods. the rain had been threatening all afternoon, but it finally looked like it was happening. autumn storms arrived quickly in this town, you had heard.
after all of the students left, you stayed in class finishing a stack of essays when a knock sounded against your open door. the principal christmann walked in with a smile on his face and you smiled back when you saw him.
“there you are. shouldn’t you be going home?” he commented once he got to your desk.
“i’ve been asking myself the same question.” you said, which made him laugh softly.
“oh, before i forget.” the principal then carefully placed a folder tucked beneath his arm on your desk. “this is the recital paperwork. mr. jackson left it in the conference room.”
you nodded as he spoke, already having an idea of what he wanted.
“could you leave it in his office before you go?”
“yeah, sure.”
christmann smiled gratefully.
“you’ll be saving my sanity. that recital has aged me at least five years over the past month and he needs those to finish whatever he needs to do.” he sighed as he fixed his brown blazer over his torso.
you had only spoken to mister michael jackson a handful of times since arriving in town. he was a very sweet man, one of the few who had welcomed you when you arrived at the school as the new literature teacher and the one who always seemed to greet you with a smile whenever he saw you.
he was charming, with a kind of beauty you had never seen outside of movies or works of art. at the same time, he was a solitary man who, despite being friendly, kept his distance from others and seemed to prefer being left alone. no one truly knew him.
however, he was perhaps the most respected teacher at the school. you had heard that his students adored him and enjoyed his music classes more than any others. you had also heard that michael became an open book whenever it came to sharing his knowledge with them.
it wasn't something you could verify yourself when most of your interactions consisted of exchanging greetings in the hallway or brief conversations after staff meetings. even so, several people had told you that you were the person they had seen him talk to the most.
he moved through the hallways with an almost dazzling grace, carrying himself with the straightest posture imaginable. talking to him had become something of a guilty pleasure. even if your conversations were never particularly long, you enjoyed every moment and every sweet compliment that left his lips.
“don't worry about it, mr. christmann.”
with that, he wished you a pleasant rest of your day and disappeared back into the hallway. you let out a deep sigh when you realized the school had emptied out faster than usual.
without noticing, you had become completely absorbed in grading papers and planning tomorrow's lesson.
maybe it was time to go home, you thought. you could finish grading the essays from the comfort of your house while staying out of the rain, and if you kept delaying, you knew there was a good chance the storm would catch you on the way.
quickly gathering your things, you carefully stuffed the papers into your bag, grabbed your coat and headed toward the parking lot, not before making sure you hadn't forgotten anything on your desk.
the moment you stepped outside the school, the wind felt much colder than it had that morning. it had picked up considerably and leaves skittered across the pavement in frantic circles while distant thunder rolled somewhere beyond the trees.
you hurried toward your car, tossing your belongings onto the passenger seat once you were inside. with a sigh, you rearranged the papers more neatly after taking off your coat, only to notice a folder buried at the bottom of the stack.
jackson's recital papers.
you had completely forgotten to leave them in his office in your rush to get ahead of the approaching rain. you sighed tiredly, telling yourself you'd give them to him first thing tomorrow morning. you were already far too exhausted to even consider going back.
the rain began about fifteen minutes after you’d pulled onto the road. at first, you figured it was only a drizzle and wouldn’t amount to much despite the forecast, hoping it would give you enough time to make it home safely. but it slowly intensified into a steady downpour, far more aggressive than you’d expected.
the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the relentless drops and the tall trees on either side of the road blurred together, their branches bending beneath increasingly violent gusts of wind as visibility worsened by the minute.
still, you refused to give up. you were only just beginning to learn your way around the town, which meant you were navigating almost entirely from memory based on the routes you’d taken these past few weeks, not trusting your instincts or your exhausted mind, enough to improvise.
you slowed the car down but you didn’t stop, even when the road briefly disappeared behind a curtain of rain. you were driving painfully slow now, unable to see any lights besides the occasional flash that illuminated the trees whenever another bolt of lightning cracked somewhere in the distance.
the fact that you could barely see anything while crawling along a dark highway worried you. a few more minutes passed before you finally admitted defeat. pulling onto the shoulder seemed smarter than risking ending up in a ditch, so you carefully guided the car to the side of the road and let out a heavy breath once the vehicle came to a stop.
the rain hammering against the roof filled the silence alongside the soft hum of the engine. you exhaled deeply without letting go of the steering wheel. the whole reason you’d wanted to get home so badly was because you were starving and now there was no telling how long you’d have to wait for the storm to calm down. the daylight would be gone soon and you’d be stranded on a dark stretch of road.
a series of heavy drops suddenly made you lift your head, immediately turning toward the source of the sound. it was coming from the driver window, the inside of the door was nearly soaked and water had already started dripping onto the seat.
of course, you’d also forgotten to get the window fixed before storm season arrived.
“no, no, no." you muttered under your breath, grabbing your coat and pressing it against the gap where the water was coming through. you left your arm braced there, applying pressure in a desperate attempt to keep any more rain from leaking inside.
another heavy sigh left your lips, and with your free hand, you rubbed at your face, the weight of the week settling heavily across your shoulders as you allowed yourself to close your eyes for a second. now the water seemed to be soaking through the fabric of your coat and in turn, the sleeve of your blouse but you couldn't let go of it or everything would get even wetter. you also tried to ignore the fact that there wasn't much fresh air left inside the car.
another crack of thunder shook the entire sky, making you pull your hand away from your face and lift your head, glancing around. when you noticed a blurry figure slowly approaching your car, you first thought it might be a trick of the rain or the distant flashes of lightning, so you blinked several times. the figure kept coming through the heavy downpour, moving slowly along a path you could barely make out.
that made you sit up straighter, your entire body tensed when the figure stopped beside the passenger-side window. you swallowed hard as your hand slowly moved toward the key in the ignition, ready to start the car again and drive off.
your exhaustion was feeding every trace of paranoia, probably. without looking directly at the person, you were about to turn the key when you heard a few gentle knocks against the window.
you froze for a moment while your stomach twisted almost painfully. then another set of knocks sounded against the glass and you shifted in your seat, noticing that whoever it was seemed to be holding an umbrella overhead. finally, after moving the paperwork onto your lap so it wouldn't get wet, you lowered the passenger-side window just a little.
the first thing you saw were those beautiful brown eyes, framed by perfectly shaped brows. you could've recognized them from miles away with how striking and unique they were. a sigh of relief slipped from your lips the moment you realized it was professor jackson and you lowered the window a little more despite the rain splashing onto the seat.
“good evening.” he said with a small smile, his voice carrying that same velvety that never seemed to rise more than necessary.
“jesus christ.” you breathed the second you recognized him, every muscle in your body finally relaxing.
that made his smile wider.
“i'm sorry, i didn't mean to scare you.”
a long coat, perfectly tailored across his shoulders, shifted gently with the wind. beneath it, you could make out the high collar of a white shirt and black trousers. his dark, perfectly curled hair fell over his shoulders, somehow making the rain seem irrelevant to him as he stood there beneath a large dark umbrella.
you tried to smile, attempting to look relaxed after the scare you'd just gotten, one you didn't particularly want to admit to.
“it's okay. i just didn't expect to see anyone out here.” you said, still breathing slowly enough that you hoped he wouldn't notice.
“well, i couldn't help noticing you sitting outside my house, so i wanted to see if everything was okay.”
his words made you frown.
“your house?”
michael stepped slightly aside to give you a better view. beyond an elaborate set of iron gates stood a massive mansion, connected to the very path you'd seen him walking down from. with the rain blurring the windows, you hadn't paid much attention to your surroundings, and even if you had, you never would've imagined someone actually lived in a place like that. that was when you realized you'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, you'd never seen that property before.
“that one right there.” he said, before stepping back into the spot where he'd been standing.
“oh, sorry, i hadn't realized it was there. i didn't mean to bother you.”
“quite the opposite.” he said immediately after your apology. “you might want to wait inside.”
when you didn't answer right away, he seemed to read the uncertainty in your expression as though he understood why you weren't sure it was a good idea. quickly, he added,
“just until the weather settles down.”
“i wouldn't want to impose...”
“you won't. i think it's better than sitting in a car that's slowly filling with rain.”
you glanced down at the arm still pressed against the window, trying to stop the leak. a small puddle had begun forming along the inside of the door where water kept slipping through the faulty seal, though you weren't entirely sure how he'd noticed it so quickly.
he had a point. if you stayed in there much longer, you were going to lose your mind and you really had nothing to lose.
you quickly rolled the passenger-side window back up and left the essays on the backseat as michael walked around the vehicle to wait for you outside with the umbrella.
you grabbed his folder before opening the door. the cold air and a few stray drops hit your skin instantly. before you could fully step out, michael shifted the umbrella over your head, moving closer to keep both of you covered. the path leading toward the mansion wasn't particularly narrow but somehow you still found yourself walking beside him rather than apart from him.
you held the folder against your chest to protect it. his arm remained draped across your shoulders, shielding you whenever a gust of rain tried to sneak beneath the umbrella. his body wasn't especially warm but it felt protective all the same.
you didn't look up until you realized just how enormous the house was from up close.
the stone steps leading to the front entrance glistened beneath the rain. ivy climbed sections of the facade, while tall windows reflected the occasional flashes of lightning streaking across the sky behind them.
michael opened the front door, and when you stepped inside, the storm became little more than a muffled murmur as he closed the door behind him.
the first thing you noticed was the warm scent that seemed to come from the countless books lining the shelves in the sitting room, accompanied by the soft crackling of a lit fireplace. the combination relaxed you almost instantly.
an antique chandelier hanging overhead was the next thing to catch your attention, casting a golden glow that illuminated the intricate carvings in the dark wooden walls. an elegant staircase curved toward the second floor, disappearing into hallways lit only by scattered lamps.
“you have such a beautiful house.” you said in a soft, near whisper as michael set the umbrella down by the front door.
“thank you.” he replied.
you could hear the light smile in his voice despite not looking at him, still too busy admiring every detail of the place, which you were fairly certain qualified as a mansion.
you noticed a massive grandfather clock standing against a wall lined with portraits. its hands moved with a gentle tick-tock that barely echoed through the room.
beyond the foyer, you could see open rooms filled with bookshelves, warm lamps and more antique furniture.
“can i ask how many people live here with you?” you asked, turning to look at him, still holding the folder against your chest.
he glanced up while carefully hanging his coat on a nearby rack, revealing a white long-sleeved shirt with delicate ruffled details at the cuffs.
“just me.”
his answer made you look around the enormous space once again.
“really? because this place is huge.”
you watched him give a small shrug as he made his way over to stand in front of you.
“well, i've had time to get used to it.”
a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the second-floor windows. for a fraction of a second, it looked as though a shadow crossed the upstairs hallway. but when you blinked, it was gone.
michael didn't seem to react and you decided not to mention it either. the last thing you wanted was to make things awkward. besides, the house felt genuinely cozy, certainly better than sitting in your car.
“can i get you something to drink?” his soft voice interrupted the brief silence.
“i'm okay, you don't have to.”
“tea?” he offered, his lips still faintly curved into a smile.
honestly, tea sounded wonderful. the problem was that you didn't want to inconvenience him in his own home.
“tea sounds good. thanks.”
michael nodded, and before heading in what you assumed was the direction of the kitchen, he added, “make yourself comfortable. i'll be right back.”
once he disappeared, you found yourself completely alone in a mansion so large you thought it might swallow you whole.
the silence inside the house felt different from the silence of any other home you'd ever visited.
your footsteps were slow as you wandered through the foyer. an enormous antique mirror occupied one wall while family portraits decorated another. some looked incredibly old, others less so and you found yourself wondering how many generations had lived there.
you stepped closer to examine one of them, studying a black and white photograph, then another and then another. there was a strange melancholy woven through all of them, yet there wasn't a single trace of michael in any of the pictures.
suddenly, a loud thud echoed from somewhere on the second floor, making you immediately lift your head. the silence that settled afterward made you frown.
when michael returned a few minutes later, he carried a silver tray holding two matching cups. steam rose slowly from the tea toward the glow of the chandelier overhead.
he set the tray down on the small coffee table in front of the red velvet sofas and handed one of the cups to you. you accepted it carefully, murmuring a ‘thank you.’
your body seemed grateful for the first sip of tea, especially your body temperature.
“i'm sorry. i was snooping.” you admitted, the rim of the cup brushing against your lips.
michael seemed to smile once again, his own cup still untouched in his hand.
“looking at photographs isn’t snooping.” his gaze drifted toward them before, saying, “it’s my family. some of them, anyway.”
his words gave you enough reassurance to look back at the various portraits.
“this house has been in your family for a long time?”
a slightly different expression crossed his face for a moment as though he had softened at the memory of something he didn’t mention.
“longer than you might realize.”
that made you fall silent for a moment, unsure whether you should ask one of the many questions already circling through your head as you took another sip of the tea, which tasted faintly of lavender or something similar. then your attention fell to the folder still clutched in your hands.
“oh, by the way. christmann told me to give you this, you left it in the conference room.” you handed him the folder, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders now that the responsibility was no longer yours. “looks important.”
michael set his untouched cup of tea down on the shelf beside the photographs and took the folder from your hands, his fingers barely brushing yours. he opened it and quickly looked through the contents.
“it absolutely is. i really appreciate it, y/n.”
his eyes remained locked on yours longer than you felt they should have. instead of feeling uncomfortable, you found yourself confirming once again that you had truly never seen a pair of eyes more beautiful than his. being around him even at work felt like constantly fighting the urge to cradle his handsome face in your hands and gently stroke his cheeks.
in a way, you liked knowing that michael didn’t live with a wife. it was difficult to imagine a man so polite, well-mannered and handsome having no one beside him to share such a massive house with.
another loud thud echoed somewhere in the distance, pulling you from your thoughts. you weren’t even sure whether it had come from upstairs like the previous one. your gaze drifted away from his and toward the staircase instead and he immediately seemed to notice the slight tension in your shoulders.
“did you hear that?” you couldn’t help asking this time.
“yeah, the house makes noises.” he said it so casually that he almost managed to convince you it was perfectly normal.
but when you looked back at him, you could’ve sworn you caught the briefest amused smile tugging at his lips, maybe enjoying your confusion a little too much.
“come on.” he said as he set the folder down on the same coffee table. “i’ll show you where all those noises come from.”
your first instinct was to ask whether he actually knew where they were coming from but michael had already turned around and started walking toward the staircase you’d been staring at.
without thinking too much about it, you left your empty teacup beside his untouched one on the shelf and followed after him. the dark wooden stairs creaked softly beneath his steps, and as you climbed, you caught that same scent from before growing stronger.
the hallways were lined with deep red carpets. framed portraits hung every few feet, built-in bookshelves filled sections of the walls and small tables were decorated with clocks, ornaments and even more photographs. michael walked ahead of you with almost flawless elegance, carrying himself with a calmness that seemed impossible to imitate.
“this place is amazing…” you commented, almost to yourself.
“thank you.” michael glanced back at you for a fraction of a second before looking forward again. “it’s older than it looks.”
“really? how old?” you asked, trying not to fall too far behind him.
“parts of it were built over a century ago.”
michael opened a door once you reached the end of the hallway, revealing a library. thousands of books filled shelves that stretched nearly to the ceiling, with a rolling ladder running along part of them. a fire crackled softly inside a marble fireplace while rain battered the tall windows and several armchairs sat gathered around the hearth.
it was, quite possibly, the most beautiful room you had ever seen.
he crossed the library without any apparent hurry while you followed close behind, watching as he approached one of the tall windows that occupied nearly an entire wall. the rain continued striking the glass while the wind whistled through the trees outside and that was when you noticed that one of the window panes had been left slightly open.
every time a stronger gust swept through the woods, the wood rattled against the frame, producing the very sound that had seemed far more mysterious from the other side of the mansion.
michael rested a hand against the window and gently closed it, making the noise disappear.
“that’s it?”
the slight embarrassment coloring your voice was difficult to hide as you remembered how tense the sound had made you. he turned his head toward you with the corner of his mouth lifting.
“were you hoping for a ghost?”
you shook your head, pressing your lips together and lifting your shoulders.
“don’t be silly, of course not.” was all you could manage to say.
“i’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
you heard him chuckle softly and you liked it far more than you should have.
while he secured the window latch, your attention drifted toward one of the nearby bookshelves. hundreds of books occupied the shelves, perhaps thousands. some looked so old it was difficult to imagine anyone touching them.
“you have quite a collection.” you said.
your fingers absentmindedly traced several spines before stopping on one particularly worn volume, one that appeared to be about history.
“i’ve never met someone who owns this many history books. it’s like people forgot about them.”
“well, that’s because people don’t read them anymore.” you heard his delicate footsteps approach until he was standing beside you in front of the bookshelf.
“i do.” you said as you turned to look at him and he looked at you at the same time.
“you like history? i thought you taught literature.”
“yeah, but the two go hand in hand.”
michael thought for a second before pulling a dark-covered book from the shelf. “then you’ve probably read this one.”
“i don’t think i have. what is it?”
you turned to open the volume michael handed you. before you realized it, the conversation started to flow naturally. you two moved from one book to another and then another.
michael seemed to know every shelf by memory, every author and every date as well. it was fascinating listening to him speak with a quiet passion you had never seen from him before. he was different from the man you saw at school every day. this version of him was more open, perhaps even more expressive.
eventually, you found yourself watching him more than the books spread across the coffee table, he really had a beautiful smile. little by little, the two of you ended up settled on one of the large sofas in front of the fire. an open book rested across your lap and another across his while you shared your thoughts and knowledge about whatever the other happened to mention.
before long, time lost its importance. it was comfortable, more comfortable than you had ever imagined you would feel around him. so comfortable that, at some point, your eyelids grew heavy without you noticing, once the two of you had settled into reading your own books in silence and occasionally making a comment about them.
your head slowly began to tilt to one side either, coming to rest against the back of the sofa.
──────────────────
when you woke up, the library was darker than before. disoriented, you stayed still for a few seconds as you looked around. the fire in the fireplace had been reduced to glowing embers and the book was still open on your lap.
you slowly blinked, sitting up carefully. michael was no longer there, making you realize that you were completely alone in the immense library. the window seemed to be making that noise again.
“michael?” your voice was barely audible. you stood up slowly, still rubbing your eyes with your knuckles, trying to shake off the sleep.
no answer came, so you decided to go look for him. the hallway felt like it was going to swallow you with its vastness, a couple of lamps were still on but not all of them. some shadows stretched across the walls and the sound of the window was even louder than when you arrived.
it seemed like the portraits were watching you from their places as you walked slowly. the mansion was beautiful but you couldn’t hide that it held something unsettling, especially for one person alone.
“michael?” you called for him again. you were so tense that the window and another, slightly sharper sound made you flinch.
when the silence returned, you heard a note in the distance followed by another. a piano sounded muffled somewhere, the melody drifting through the entire house. without thinking about it, you started following it.
you descended the stairs, regardless of how strange it felt to walk through someone else’s house on your own. you crossed a few more dark hallways at a quicker pace until you found a partially open door.
you pushed the door open gently when you realized the music was coming from there. michael was sitting in front of the piano, completely absorbed in playing. some sheet music rested open on the piano and the light from a lamp barely illuminated his beautiful profile.
you stood there watching him without saying anything, simply admiring the ease with which his fingers moved across the keys. then he looked up and stopped playing, smiling at you.
“didn’t mean to wake you.” he commented.
trying not to feel embarrassed, you shrugged slightly.
“no, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to fall asleep in your library.”
“i wouldn’t worry about it.” he said with a voice even softer than before. then he shifted slightly on the bench he was sitting on and patted the space beside him. “come sit.”
trying to hide the slight warmth in your cheeks, you walked over and sat beside him in front of the large, elegant piano. you noticed that the sheet music was inside the folder you had given him. but it was incomplete.
it seemed like michael noticed your eyes on it, because he quickly said, “i’m finishing it right now. it’s for the recital.”
then he started playing again. the melody felt familiar, you had heard some fragments of it during rehearsals but this time it sounded even more complete and melancholic. your eyes lowered to his hands, large and agile, playing each key with such natural ease that his talent became almost intimidating.
once the song ended, he turned to look for your eyes and you lifted yours to meet his. you were so close that it felt impossible to want to look away, his features seeming almost porcelain-like up close.
“you’re beautiful.” you murmured before you could stop the words. your cheeks began to burn again with a faint blush.
“i could say the same thing about you.” he said, his gaze lowering for a second before meeting your eyes again. “i don’t usually have company.”
you let the silence slip between you for a few seconds, noticing the softness of his lips at this distance.
“i don’t understand why.” you murmured. “you’re a very wonderful man.”
for the first time that night and in all the time you had spent getting to know michael, you noticed a certain shadow of hesitation in him when his attention fell to your mouth. and that was what finally convinced you, his small display of vulnerability and the fact that he wanted it just as much as you did.
your hand moved to gently brush against his on the bench, as if you were giving him permission. then he leaned in, capturing your lips with his. you both immediately moved against the contact, slow at first. a sigh escaped your mouth at his sweet taste and the smoothness of his movements.
michael cupped one of your cheeks with his hand to deepen the kiss, which made you tilt your head and part your lips slightly. he did the same, making the kiss deeper as one of your hands now caressed his chest. your stomach fluttered and your nerves were on edge, and you couldn’t help but melt in his arms at how well he kissed.
he sighed as the kiss gained speed and then depth. your head tilted the other way and you clung to his shirt. he then cradled the back of your head and you brushed the pads of your fingers over the bare skin of his chest. you bit his lower lip, which made him pull yours with extreme gentleness.
with the same care, he took your waist and shifted you, making you sit on the piano so he stood between your legs. a low gasp escaped your lips as your tongues brushed, searching for his to slowly entwine despite the urgency the kiss had taken while you stroked his cheek.
you felt a slight sting in your index finger suddenly, briefly recalling when one of the old pages of the book you’d been reading had grazed it and cut it slightly. then michael slowly pulled back, your lips tingled as he did.
his large hands rested on your thighs to keep them apart. you breathed heavily without saying anything for a few seconds until michael squeezed your legs.
“you’re bleeding.” he murmured.
then something wet on your finger caught your attention, a small red line crossing the tiny cut. he noticed it before even a drop of blood had the chance to gather on your finger.
“it must be a paper cut.” you said, absentmindedly wiping your finger with the thumb of the same hand.
but michael remained still and didn’t answer. you noticed his shoulders becoming tense and also that something about him had changed. his gaze remained fixed on a spot near your hand, almost giving the impression that he wasn’t breathing.
then you searched for his eyes, gently brushing your fingers along his chin. “michael, are you okay?”
he licked his lips and didn’t look at you again, only giving a small kiss to your hand while you still had it resting on his chin. his jaw was tightening, his silence started to worry you.
“michael…” when you called his name again, this time he lifted his gaze to yours. something in his eyes had changed, perhaps something darker now.
his eyes lowered back to your injured hand.
“i should get you something for that.” he mentioned and took a step back, walking toward the door.
“you don’t have to, it’s tiny.”
you lifted your hand to look at the cut, there was a little more blood quickly coming out because of the depth of the cut despite it being small. then a drop of the same size slid down your finger and michael stopped dead.
it looked as if he was fighting against himself, he closed his eyes for a fraction of a second while running a hand along his jaw. you suddenly felt cold at the absence of his body and then stepped down from the piano, hesitating whether you should walk toward him.
“did i do something wrong?” you asked, carefully wiping your finger on your clothes.
michael stayed frozen in that same position without turning to look at you, taking his time before answering.
“you should go home, y/n.”
that confused you, making you frown, also because his voice sounded slightly shaky.
“what?”
“it’s late.”
that was when you dared to take a step toward him and he immediately raised a hand behind him to signal for you to stop, which you did. but when he didn’t say or do anything else, you hurried to walk over until you were standing behind him.
you placed a hand on his shoulder, gently caressing it. you noticed that your touch made him tense up even more, however, you continued caressing him and tried to take his hand, which he squeezed as soon as you did.
“i wanna help you.” you murmured. “please.”
“you can’t.” he murmured back, without letting go of your hand. his skin had become noticeably colder than before, almost as cold as stone. “i just don’t want you to run away.”
that made your breath catch in your throat.
then michael slowly turned his head over his shoulder, his slightly parted lips revealing sharp, bright fangs, white and perfect.
he didn’t let go of your hand, even if you felt like your heart had stopped beating.
n/a: you guys have no idea how much i enjoyed writing this 😭 i love the ghosts short film with my entire heart and i love dark academia too, michael fits this concept so ridiculously well i couldn’t help it
the blood on the dance floor album was on repeat the entire week it took me to write this, so i really hope you enjoy it ♡
maestro!michael x reader one shot is coming… 👁️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ the vmas night mj
type: one shot
pairing: michael jackson x fem!reader
summary: you’re a rising supermodel who’s suddenly everywhere, making a name for yourself in both the fashion and entertainment industries.
you met michael when he attended one of your shows and the two of you have been very close ever since. neither of you likes talking about the attraction that has been there from the start, and it’s getting harder to pretend otherwise, especially after you presented one of his categories at the 1995 mtv video music awards.
cw: established relationship, mention of alcohol/intoxication, smut, breeding, praise kink, daddy kink, riding/grinding, public party setting (lowkey?), rough sex, possessive and vulgar language, rough handling, explicit descriptions.
enjoy ;)
you were playing nervously with the envelope in your hands, tapping the pointed heel of your shoe against the floor while you waited for your cue.
maybe it was because you were still getting used to the sudden pressure that came with fame, but presenting an award at one of the biggest music events of the year was a little different from modeling clothes on a runway.
a production assistant rushed past with a headset pressed to one ear as a few voices echoed from somewhere behind the curtains. the ceremony was already well underway, and from where you stood backstage, you could hear waves of applause rising and falling from the audience every few minutes.
to distract yourself, your attention drifted toward one of the television monitors mounted nearby. the live broadcast flickered across the screen. your eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting among the crowd and suddenly you forgot all about everything else.
michael jackson was in his seat, dressed in black from head to toe with dark sunglasses resting on his face despite the stage lights. the camera lingered on him for only a few seconds as he applauded someone onstage with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
you stared for maybe a little longer than you should have. but god, didn’t he look ridiculously handsome tonight. whenever you were around him, you couldn’t help feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush. his presence was so commanding that you simply couldn’t help it and you were pretty sure you weren’t the only one.
“you’re up in thirty seconds.” the voice of the stage manager pulled you from your thoughts and your gaze snapped away from the monitor.
you glanced down at the envelope in your hands before letting out a slow breath, trying to steady yourself.
“and now, please welcome…” your name echoed through the speakers and the stage manager gave you a small nod.
that was your cue. you straightened your shoulders, adjusted your grip on the envelope and stepped out from behind the curtain as the applause of the crowd greeted you.
between the lights, the noise, and the sheer size of the audience, it felt impossible to focus on any one thing. still, you smiled as naturally as you could, crossing the stage toward the microphone positioned at the center.
“thank you.” you laughed lightly once the applause settled. “wow, it’s a huge stage.” a few people in the audience chuckled at your reaction.
you delivered the introduction exactly as rehearsed, reading from the teleprompter only when necessary. the nerves slowly began to loosen their grip the longer you stood there. maybe this wasn’t so bad.
“and the nominees for best male video are…”
the clips rolled behind you on the massive screens, one after another. and somewhere among the nominees sat the man you’d caught yourself staring at backstage only minutes earlier. he was also nominated and you knew there was a high chance he would win.
once the final nominee had been announced, the envelope suddenly felt heavier in your hands and you took another quiet deep breath before speaking again.
“and the vma goes to…” you said into the microphone as you glanced down and gently broke the seal before unfolding the card. the name printed across it immediately made your lips twitch. “you are not alone, michael jackson.”
people immediately rose to their feet to cheer as the winning video and song began playing in the background. you couldn’t help smiling as you looked out toward the crowd, searching for him. there he was, standing and thanking everyone with his hands before making his way toward the stage.
one of the production assistants quickly approached you with the moonman, you could see his name engraved on the plaque at its base. you held it carefully with both hands while watching him make his way up the steps. the whole thing felt too surreal for you to even think about your nerves anymore.
michael walked straight toward you and greeted you with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek, which you didn’t hesitate to return, murmuring a quiet ‘congratulations’ before carefully handing him the award. you couldn’t help noticing how incredible his cologne smelled.
his hands brushed yours as he accepted the moonman. “thank you.” he replied, still smiling.
before you could step aside to give him space and let him approach the microphone, he leaned in a little closer.
“it’s good to see you. you look really beautiful tonight.”
you felt your breath catch in your throat as he turned away to accept the award and begin his speech, leaving you standing a few feet away onstage. you stared at him completely stunned until you realized he had already finished speaking and everyone around you was applauding. quickly, you joined in.
you noticed michael holding the award with one hand as he turned and strated walking backstage. you followed beside him when you felt his free hand brush against the small of your back while the ceremony continued with the next performance.
"i really didn’t expect to see you here tonight." he commented, raising his voice slightly over the noise from the stage without losing the softness and warmth that always seemed to linger in it.
“i saw you on the red carpet but you looked like you were in a rush.” you said as you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.
once you stepped backstage, he had to remove his hand from your back so the two of you could stand facing each other.
he chuckled softly. “you know i always have time to say hi to you.”
you couldn't come up with a response fast enough to something you hadn't been expecting to hear and you hated yourself for it when a few people you assumed were event organizers and security staff hurried over to speak with michael, telling him they wanted a quick interview before the next category he was also nominated for.
“see you at the party?” he asked, glancing back at you as he moved off with the rest of his team.
you'd lost count of how many people had stopped to congratulate you on your latest campaign, surprised by how many recognized you.
when you arrived at the afterparty, you were already exhausted from smiling nonstop and making conversation with strangers, so the moment a waiter passed by offering drinks, you didn't hesitate to take one. the venue was packed with familiar faces and others you didn't recognize, the music blasting through the speakers.
after a while, you accepted another drink and knocked it back much faster than the first. it went down easier, making you exhale afterward as you tried to distract yourself from the group conversation you'd become part of. truthfully, you weren't contributing much anymore.
“hey, that's the man right there." someone in the group commented.
you didn't even bother looking to see who they were talking about until you felt a warm hand settle against your bare shoulder.
the group immediately cheered and applauded when they spotted michael standing behind you, still wearing the same sunglasses and the same smile from earlier.
maybe it was the drinks already getting to your head but seeing him made a wide smile spread across your face.
after exchanging a few words with the group, michael turned his attention back to you.
“sorry, everyone. if you don't mind, i'm borrowing her for a minute.”
they laughed in response, including you. you let his hand slide slowly from your shoulder to your wrist and finally to your hand, gently leading you away from the group until he found an empty spot near one of the balconies.
you tilted the glass in your hand as the two of you came to a stop. for a moment, you simply looked at him in silence, saying nothing. your head was starting to feel a little dizzy.
“…were you following me?” it was the only thing that came out of your mouth.
michael laughed.
“i wasn't. i said i'd see you at the party and that's exactly what i'm doing.”
that made you laugh much harder than it probably should have and he kept that small amused smile on his lips as though he was trying not to laugh too.
“did you enjoy presenting?”
“no, it was terrible. i was terrified.” you admitted as you tried to drain the last drop from your glass, already looking around for another waiter. you then stepped a little closer to michael. “you mind getting me another one?”
michael glanced at the empty glass and carefully took it from your hand before leaning over to set it on the nearest coffee table. you followed his movement with your eyes.
“hey, that was mine.”
“yeah, i think you’ve had enough.” that made you purse your lips. you weren't sure when you'd drifted even closer to him but by this point, the alcohol was already flowing through your veins.
you didn’t respond right away, nor did you argue or insist. instead, you tilted your head slightly, studying him with quiet curiosity. he didn’t look away either.
“do those ever come off?” you asked, referring to his sunglasses. “you’ve been wearing them all evening.”
“what about it?”
“do you sleep in them?” michael chuckled again, shaking his head. “you hesitated.”
“i didn’t.” he laughed softly once more. “i can’t believe this is what we’re talking about.”
“take them off and we’ll talk about whatever you want.”
then you reached for the temples of his sunglasses without waiting for an answer, carefully sliding them from his face while making sure not to catch any of his curls.
finally, the glasses rested in your hands and his beautiful eyes were left uncovered, fixed on yours. neither of you spoke again, you simply looked at each other, maybe admiring one another. a sudden warmth washed over you.
“what?” michael raised both eyebrows, sounding as though he already knew the answer.
“you’re so…” your voice trailed off. “your eyes are so... pretty.”
he remained silent as a smile curved at his lips once again.
“you’ve gotta stop hiding them.” you added.
“i’m not. i just think they look better.”
he sounded slightly shy this time, though he never broke the eye contact you'd been holding.
“but you’re so... even more handsome up close." you murmured without hesitation, practically thinking out loud by now.
“i think that’s the alcohol talking.” he muttered, his voice growing noticeably softer.
“it’s just me talking...”
you weren’t entirely sure that was true but you knew you were being honest. after so many encounters and near-misses between the two of you, it felt like something had been building for a long time.
you didn’t even notice the moment michael brushed the tip of his nose lightly against yours. when he did, the scent of his cologne filled your senses and one of his hands settled gently at your waist.
“is it?” he murmured.
the next thing you felt was his lips meeting yours softly, followed by his body moving closer until there was barely any space left between you as he cupped your cheek. you wrapped both arms around his shoulders to keep him close, still holding his sunglasses in one hand.
his lips were warm and impossibly soft, moving against yours. when you parted your lips slightly, he slid his hand from your cheek to your jaw, steadying your face while his other arm tightened around your waist.
almost instantly, you melted into his embrace, holding onto him a little tighter as the rest of the room seemed to disappear.
you tugged on his jacket, gripping the fabric between your fingers while he squeezed one of your thighs exposed by the slightly short dress. soon, your tongues tangled together and he let out a low moan. when you felt his free hand brush your belly near your crotch, he slowly slid it under your dress to then tease your sensitive folds covered by the fabric of your delicate panties.
his touch made you moan softly into the kiss, pulling him closer while you parted your legs just a little.
"shh..." michael muttered. you must have been louder than you realized.
you pulled away just a few inches to brush your noses again, exchanging heavy breaths.
“take me somewhere else…” you murmured, tilting your head to press another kiss on his red lips. “please…”
michael squeezed your hand in his after pecking your lips back. “i know where.”
together, the two of you slipped away from the crowd, trying to avoid being stopped for greetings, conversations or photographs. michael had put his sunglasses back on and walked slightly ahead of you, guiding you through the venue without letting go of your hand. he knew these kinds of events were still new to you.
somehow, the two of you managed to leave the venue unnoticed. moving around only made your head spin a little more, your tolerance for alcohol clearly not what it used to be, so you held onto him the entire time.
he mentioned something about a suite not far from the venue, but you barely managed to pay attention. you felt your panties soaked and your need to be touched by him was almost unbearable.
michael led you toward the private parking area reserved for a handful of guests, tucked away in a lower level of the building and far quieter than the main lot. the noise of the party felt distant now, reduced to a faint echo somewhere above.
once there, neither of you could hold back any longer and neither wanted to go anywhere else either.
he opened the car door and pulled you inside gently but with urgency. you settled on his lap with your body pressing against his while he shut the door closed, feeling his bulge growing and making your breath hitch. his hands found your waist, steadying you as you tilted your head up to meet his gaze again.
your lips met in a hungry kiss that deepened instantly. his fingers traced the curve of your back, pulling you closer as your hands tangled in his short hair. you then managed to slip out of his jacket when he helped you, quickly finding your way back to his lips like the air you needed to breathe.
you slowly ground yourself against his bulge still wearing your panties, feeling how big and hard he was. michael moaned with his hands on your waist and his legs parted for you. "jesus..." he swallowed, licking his bottom lip.
“hmm, you’re this hard for me?” you purred, making him groan softly under his breath.
“don’t you wanna find out how hard it actually is?” he muttered, his lips brushing against yours without kissing them.
you looked into his eyes for a second before starting to undo the button of his pants. your fingers moved quickly, sliding the zipper down even though it wasn't easy as his pants were really tight. once he was free, you bit your inner cheek as you held him in your hand.
he was throbbing, so all you did was spit on it before stroking, making him moan even more. it was like music to your ears.
your back arched as he slid inside you, holding your waist with both hands to keep you balanced while he spread his legs a bit more so you could settle better on top of him. his wrinkled shirt rested on his restless chest and your backless dress slowly slid down your body as you moved your hips, leaving you naked for him.
one of your hands rested on the headrest of the seat, the other was on his shoulder. he whimpered every time he slid in and out, his lips slightly parted to catch his breath and a few curls falling messily over his forehead.
“yes… fuck, j-just like that, baby…” he moaned loudly as you whimpered loud. his head fell back against the headrest, his eyes rolled shut as your tight heat wrapped around him completely.
he grabbed your hips firmly, guiding your hips as you bounced nonstop on his lap. the car rocked hard with every thrust, the suspension creaking under the frenetic pace.
“am i… am i doing good?” you barely managed to speak, moving up and down his dick faster now. “i wanna be good for you…”
you heard michael groan deeply, gripping your ass cheeks with his big hands. “you’re doing, ah- fuckin’ perfect, takin' every inch like a good girl.”
he watched your breasts bounce wildly with every move, biting his lip at the sight and grabbing one in his hand, massaging it.
“don’t stop… fuck, you look beautiful ridin' my dick.” he thrust his hips upward to meet you, going deeper.
each time he buried deep inside you, your whole body trembled, his tip hitting your spot until your body weakened, bending over him without stopping your hips moving back and forth, making a small bulge form in your belly.
the sound of your skin slapping faster and faster filled the small space of the car, along with heavy gasps from both of you. it felt like you could break open inside at any second from how fast you were moving.
when michael opened his eyes, he saw you tilting your head back with lips parted, brushing your messy hair back. then he grabbed your cheeks in one hand to make you look at him.
“look at me when you ride me, baby. eyes on me.”
you could barely keep your eyes open, your head spinning uncontrollably and your body was burning with pleasure. you could only focus on moving on top of him, his thickness hitting your cervix again and again.
still, you managed to look at him, though not for long as he started pounding hard upward.
“oh my?” you moaned louder than before, he was burying deeper inside you and you barely held yourself together now. “m-michael… you’re so fucking big, oh my god!”
“there it is... that sweet little spot." he started pounding into you relentlessly from below, hitting that same spot over and over.
you nodded as best you could, your eyes rolling back and knees trembling, almost giving out from shaking so much. there was a moment of silence before you exploded in a scream that left you breathless as he increased the speed of his thrusts.
“yes, fuck, daddy! please don’t stop, please don’t stop, don’t stop…” you babbled between heavy whimpers.
“ah- not stoppin' till you cum for me.”
wrapping his arms around your back, he held you tight against his chest as he kept pounding into you.
michael grabbed one of your butt cheeks again, squeezing it like he wanted to leave a mark. his balls slapped against your skin and all you could do was hold onto him, pressing your forehead against his.
“m-mike-michael… daddy, you’re fucking me so good…” you mumbled, completely lost against his lips, practically crying out with a hand on his cheek. “please, please…”
“say that again... louder.” he demanded with his voice rough. “let them hear who owns this pussy.” he rammed into you harder, the leather seats squeaking loudly. “fucking scream it.”
you felt two of his fingers play with one of your sensitive nipples, brushing them with his fingertips before pinching them. his other hand moved down to your core, rubbing two fingers on your clit.
“oh, daddy! right there… right there, daddy, please, keep going…”
michael felt himself lose control over your beggings and whimpers. he gripped your waist suddenly, stopping his movements and lifting you off his lap, manhandling you until you were bent over the backseat, your face pressed against the leather cushion and your ass lifted for him.
“that’s better..." he slowly lined himself up behind you, gripping on your waist to hold himself with his knees buried on the seat.
he started to snap his hips forward with deep, brutal thrusts that made the entire car shake once again and you parted your lips to try to catch some air, your fingers gripping on the backseat as your body bounced vionetly against the backseat and your walls clenched around his cock.
the wet sounds of your bodies slapping together filled the car, along with your loud whimpers and his groans whenever he pulled in and out.
“i’m- i’m gonna cum…”
you barely managed to speak through your clumsy babbling as you felt his thrusts driving into you with even more force, each one so hard the car’s suspension squeaked loudly.
at your whimpering admission, he wrapped one arm around your waist and pulled you back even closer, pressing your back against his torso to change the angle, hitting you deeply, that sweet spot making your eyes roll back as he kept snapping his hips brutally.
“want me to fuck it out of you?" he muttered in your ear, tightening his jaw.
“y-yes, fuck!” you could feel a tear rolling down your cheek, holding onto his arm and sinking your nails into his skin while your head was resting on his shoulder. “i’m so close…”
you said as he was drilling into you with relentless, punishing precision, aiming directly for that spot that made your entire body shake.
“cum all over this dick, baby. give it to me." his on your hip became bruising as he fucked you through your high, demanding you release everything you had. “cum for daddy…”
that’s when you finally writhed in his arms, feeling your mind and senses blur even more than before. your eyes rolled back, your lips parted, your belly contracted and your orgasm hit, arching your back as your chest rose and fell, screaming louder than before.
he didn’t stop or slow down though, fucking you aggressively through the overwhelming orgasm, loving how you completely lost control.
“i’m gonna- shit, gonna fill you up so good…” the way your walls tightened around him made him tilt his head back, closing his eyes as he finally came inside you, making you stay almost still, pressed against his body.
“breed me, daddy, please, i want it inside…”
michael slammed into you one last time, holding deep as he came hard, filling you up with his hot seed just like you had begged. his body shook with the intensity of his release as he emptied himself completely inside you.
“that's my good girl..." he pounded into your spasming pussy, helping you ride out every single wave until you were trembling violently and sobbing. “beautiful girl…” he kissed your sweaty shoulder, holding you close. “take a deep breath, princess, you did so good for me.”
you swallowed hard, licking your own lips as he stayed inside you, one hand gently stroking your back while the other remained on your waist. your breath and his were heavy and ragged, slowly calming down from the intense fucking session.
you felt drained, completely unable to do or say something.
he took a deep breath as he brushed his hair back, gently kissing your cheek and caressing your hair. “you’re shaking, baby… come on, let me clean you up and take you home.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 5
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ CHAPTER 4.
“i still think i shouldn’t have dragged you to that bar.”
carol dabbed her powder blush onto her cheeks twice before looking at herself in her small handheld mirror again, giving her makeup a few final touch-ups and smiling at her reflection once she was satisfied with the result. then she set both the mirror and the compact back down on her vanity and resumed pacing around the room in search of her backpack.
i tried to hold back a sigh as i sat on the edge of her bed with my legs tucked beneath me, a couple of her books resting on my thigh while i stared out the dorm room window.
“you didn’t drag me anywhere. i agreed to go because i wanted to.” i repeated for what felt like the tenth time, shrugging. “i don’t know what’s wrong with him lately.”
while she organized the inside of her backpack against the vanity, stuffing notebooks and her pencil case inside, she clicked her tongue.
“well, tony looked pissed when you two left.”
“tony is always pissed about something when it comes to me.” i replied immediately, running my fingers over the cover of the thick book.
carol gave me a look over her shoulder while searching through one of her drawers.
“that’s not true, you know he loves you.” once she found her lipstick, she applied it while looking into the same mirror again and then adjusted her jacket, tossing the reddish tube into her bag. “you’re acting like that’s a bad thing.”
inevitably, talking about my boyfriend irritated me more and more these days. carol insisted that if it hadn’t been for her idea of all of us going out together, tony and i never would’ve argued after spending an entire week without seeing each other. everyone seemed to adore him more than i did, including my own parents. i knew the fight with tony wasn’t even a big deal. if someone asked me about it, i probably couldn’t explain what had happened. i just liked having an excuse to spend more time away from him.
it would never make sense to them, or to anyone else, that my mind was occupied by somebody else day and night, someone whose name i had only learned recently. i was fully aware it was completely insane and i had no desire to escape it, not even when i thought i was in love with tony had i ever felt like this.
my silence seemed to catch her attention, and after a couple of quiet minutes spent watching her wander around the room gathering her things, she finally stopped in front of me.
“you know, you’ve been weird all week.”
i shrugged again, trying to look indifferent to her observation.
“i’m fine.” that was all i said.
she gave me one last look before picking up the books from my lap and turning around to slide them into her backpack.
“listen, i don’t know what happened on that balcony last night but something’s going on inside that head.”
i rubbed two fingers against my eye, trying not to lose my patience. truthfully, i didn’t feel different, i just felt disconnected from my own thoughts in a way i hadn’t before michael appeared in my life. no matter what i did, they always drifted back to him and with them came the urge to go looking for him.
but neither carol nor anyone else would ever know that. if possible, i’d take that secret to the grave my family would bury me in if they ever found out the truth.
“carol, really, you don’t need to worry. i’m fine.” i repeated, letting myself fall back into the mess of pillows on her bed and staring at the ceiling.
“okay.” she sighed, giving her slightly fluffy hair a few final touches. she grabbed her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, picked up the room key and headed for the door. “but if you end up breaking up with tony, i don’t wanna hear later that i should’ve stopped you.”
all i did was raise my eyebrows without saying anything, listening to the sound of the doorknob turning as she opened it. “i’ll be back at five.”
“have fun.”
“whatever. love ya.”
then she shut the door behind her, leaving me alone in the dorm room. as soon as she was gone, i sat up on the bed and let out a deep sigh, once again directing my attention toward the window overlooking the massive campus bathed in the morning sunlight.
a small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as i remembered i would see him again soon, in just a few hours and then the storm inside my head would disappear completely.
one thing i appreciated about carol was that she still let me stay in her room even though i wasn’t attending classes anymore. my old student id still got me onto campus, even if i was no longer enrolled in any program. it was all part of keeping my little lie alive and making sure people still saw me coming to the university. there were a lot of things carol didn’t know about me by my own choice, this was the only one she knew and she had supported me through it ever since we met in class a few months ago.
i got up from the bed, grabbed a clean towel and headed into the shower. it was finally time to start getting ready for my date. by ten-thirty that morning, i realized i hadn’t actually eaten breakfast, so i left the dorm after taking some cash from beneath the mattress where i always kept it and headed to the cafeteria, which was almost completely empty with everyone in class. i bought myself a black hot coffee served in a styrofoam cup and a blueberry muffin that was still warm before hurrying back up to the dorm so nobody familiar would stop to talk to me, eating while i watched tv.
afterward, i dried my hair and decided to leave my natural curls down again since michael had told me he liked my hair that way. i paused in front of the mirror, smoothing a curl behind my ear as the excitement in my chest tangled with something else, nerves maybe. because the truth was, i was risking a lot just to see him today.
i decided to put on an exfoliating cream while i still had time, carefully massaging it over every part of my face. meanwhile, music videos played on mtv in the background and i absentmindedly snapped and tapped my fingers against my thigh along with the beat.
sitting in front of carol’s vanity, my brain suddenly made me sit upright when i remembered that michael and i had never actually agreed on where to meet or what time.
how could i have been so stupid and absentminded? he probably assumed i worked at the gas station on weekends, and when he didn’t find me there, he’d think i’d decided to forget about him after finding out about tony.
restless, i went to wash the cream off my skin, accidentally splashing water outside the sink while my mind raced a mile a minute. he wouldn’t know where to find me, he wouldn’t show up and sooner or later he’d just decide to forget about me.
“you fucking idiot.” i muttered to myself, groaning in frustration.
once i made sure there was no product left on my face, i tightened the knot of my bathrobe and noticed it was getting close to noon. i dropped onto the edge of the bed and buried my face in both hands. i couldn’t stop imagining the thousand different scenarios that could happen and i just hoped my father didn’t see him at the gas station, because if he ever found out a man was asking around for his daughter, michael would be dead.
i lost track of how long i spent trying to decide what to do until i finally stood up and changed into the outfit i had picked out specifically for him. i slipped into a fitted white t-shirt that was slightly cropped with a faded reddish graphic across the chest. a pair of light denim shorts rested low on my hips, held up by a dark belt with a simple buckle.
i could always go out with carol later or something but i wasn’t going to waste my day locked in here waiting for a date that wasn’t going to happen because of my own stupidity. so i decided i’d wait for my friend and go wherever she wanted. barefoot and still in a bad mood, i got up, grabbed one of her many new magazines and stretched out on the bed on my stomach to read it.
i didn’t notice when i fell asleep on top of the magazine and i wasn’t sure what woke me up first: the arm trapped beneath my head going numb, the drool about to escape from the corner of my mouth or the loud engine roaring somewhere outside. with a groan, i pushed myself upright and rubbed my face, blinking away the last traces of sleep. the sound was coming from the parking lot beside the dorm building, loud enough to rattle the silence that usually settled over campus at that hour.
frowning, i got off the bed to see what the awful noise outside was and stood on my tiptoes to get a better look at the parking lot. when i couldn’t make anything out, i was about to walk away when the engine roared again, making me open the window and stick my head out a little.
my stomach dropped the second i saw the harley parked near the entrance of the lot, with a guy sitting on the bike while michael stood beside him, smiling as they talked. i couldn’t tell if i was still asleep and dreaming that he was there or if i was terrified that somebody would see him and realize he was there because of me. while i figured out whether this was real or not, i couldn’t let him keep talking to anyone else, especially with lunch hour getting closer.
i quickly grabbed my brown heels that tied around my ankles and bolted out of the room without even making sure the door was fully closed behind me. as i rushed down the stairs, i awkwardly slipped my shoes on. once outside, i braced myself against the wall to finish fastening them and trying to catch my breath, hurried over to where michael was standing.
the guy had already gotten off the bike and was still staring at it like it was some kind of treasure, michael stood beside it with one hand resting on the motorcycle. as i got closer, i noticed the black fingerless leather gloves wrapped around his hands, tightened with straps and metal buckles that gleamed beneath the sun. he wore a fitted black military-style shirt, slightly open over a white undershirt.
once i was close enough, his gaze landed on me and his smile shone brighter than any precious pearl. i couldn’t stop myself from smiling back, even though my entire system seemed trapped in a state of uncontrollable panic.
“hey.” he said.
“hey.” i replied, trying to hold back a wider smile.
“oh, she’s...” the guy started after looking back at michael. he simply nodded.
“i’ll leave you guys alone. thanks for the tips, man. see ya.”
he said goodbye to both of us with a nod and hurried off toward the building. finally we were alone and i stepped a little closer to him, suddenly forgetting everything that had been scaring me.
“what was all that about?” i asked, pointing toward the direction the guy had already disappeared in.
michael lifted a shoulder in a small shrug as he stepped a little closer to me as well.
“he was passing by, saw the bike and really liked it. i told him i was waiting for you.”
that immediately pulled me out of the little bubble where only the two of us existed. i frowned.
“you told him what?”
he looked completely confused by my reaction, clearly not understanding why the idea of somebody, even a stranger, knowing he was there for me made me panic.
“that i was waiting here for you.” he repeated, frowning a little. “did i do something wrong?”
“you can’t just go around telling people that, michael.”
“why not?”
i let out a sigh and glanced around on instinct. the parking lot wasn’t particularly crowded but it wasn’t empty either. students walked from one building to another, people came and went from the dorms and cars pulled in while others drove away. i couldn’t keep risking someone seeing us.
“come on. let’s go somewhere else.” i said, glancing around again.
“wait, what’s wrong with here?” he asked, following me with his gaze while i was already heading toward the edge of campus.
“half the people around here know my family. let’s go.” i repeated through gritted teeth, quieter this time, and that seemed to make him understand a little better.
without starting the bike, michael followed me out of the university, pushing it by the handlebars. i walked a few steps ahead of him so we wouldn’t look too close together and led him toward the back of campus, where no one would see us.
somewhere along the way, i remembered i hadn’t even managed to finish putting on my mascara properly, only my eyeliner and a little gloss. honestly, it was unbelievable how clumsy i became whenever it came to him.
when we finally reached a much quieter area tucked between two buildings, where barely anyone passed by, i crossed my arms and turned to face him. michael lowered the kickstand so the bike could support itself. the weight on my chest eased now that there was no risk of someone spotting us and suddenly i wanted nothing more than to throw myself into his arms.
“there. happy now?” he asked with a faint smile, not the least bit annoyed.
“very.” i replied, completely unable to hide my smile this time. “are you gonna tell me how you found me?”
“i went by the station and it turns out you don’t work on saturdays.” he explained, leaning against the brick wall. “so i asked around and one of the guys told me where you go to school.”
my heart gave a small flip at the thought that he’d actually taken the time to look for me, right when i’d convinced myself i wasn’t going to see him today. but the fact that he’d gone to the station still didn’t sit entirely right with me, even as my expression softened.
“so you went to the station? did my dad...?”
michael shook his head, dropping his gaze for a moment before finding mine again.
“he was busy working on some truck.” he said. “and i think the toolbox guy already knew i was looking for you. next time, we should probably agree on a time and place.”
somehow, that alone let me breathe easier.
“that was kind of your fault too... i don’t think he’ll say a peep, though.” my attention dropped to his hand around mine and playfully brushed my fingers against one of his gloves. “these are very cool.”
“thanks, they’re supposed to be.” he teased.
i laughed quietly and he laughed too a second later, our voices gently blending together. then he looked back at me.
“you look really beautiful today.” he said after what it felt like a minute. “you should wear those shorts more often.”
i was far too flustered to even thank him for the compliment, too distracted by those dark eyes, his intoxicating cologne and the slight curve of his lower lip. i didn’t know if he’d noticed the blush creeping across my cheeks, so i stepped back anyway and moved toward the back of the bike. i was pretty sure that if i stayed any closer, the urge to kiss him would win this time.
“so, where are we going?”
he pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the bike, stopping in front of me.
“i can’t tell you.” he offered me a hand to help me onto the back seat, carefully showing me where to place my feet. “it wouldn’t be a surprise then.”
“no helmets?” i asked as he swung himself onto the front seat, making sure i was settled securely behind him.
the warmth radiating from his body was impossible to ignore, making a shiver ran down my spine.
“we’re not gonna need ’em. trust me.” he glanced back at me over his shoulder, his smile still in place as he started the engine.
the roar of the motorcycle made me jump slightly, still unsure about all of this bike thing.
“just don’t go too fast. i’ve seen how fast you drive...” that earned a low laugh from him.
“you’ll be fine. hold on tight, mama.”
without needing to be told twice, i took a breath before the bike pulled away. at first, i was more worried about falling off than anything else.
i’d decided to keep my opinion to myself when michael said we wouldn’t need helmets. i also neglected to mention that i’d never ridden on a motorcycle before. it felt like unnecessary information considering i was already sitting behind him and getting off at that point would’ve been far more embarrassing, especially given how badly i’d wanted a moment alone with him.
so i settled for holding on. first to the back of the seat, then to his jacket and finally, when he took a turn a little faster than i would’ve liked, i wrapped my arms around his torso. if he noticed how tightly i was holding on, i was grateful he didn’t say anything. at least not yet.
eventually, the wind carried away whatever doubts i’d had about being on the bike. every time we stopped at a red light, i took the chance to look around and make sure we were still somewhere familiar. then everything would dissolve back into speed and buildings rushing past us.
for a while, we rode through streets i recognized. some i’d known my whole life, others only vaguely. i watched repair shops, dealerships, gas stations and roadside diners disappear behind us one after another until the city slowly shrank in the distance. that was when i stopped trying to guess where we were going.
honestly, it could’ve been anywhere. maybe a lake, some nearby town or a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. whatever it was, i was excited simply because it meant getting to know him better.
the highway stretched endlessly ahead of us. there was less traffic, fewer buildings, fewer signs and soon the landscape transformed into long stretches of dry land, endless fences and power lines that seemed to go on forever.
and it felt strange, maybe different. because for the first time in weeks, i wasn’t thinking about tony or my father or the university or any of the lies i’d been keeping alive for months. i was sitting on the back of his motorcycle, letting myself be carried away by someone who was probably the worst decision i’d made in a very long time. and yet i had absolutely no intention of asking him to turn around.
almost forty minutes later, michael slowed down and exited the main highway. i lifted my head from where my cheek had been resting against his back with my eyes closed when i felt the bike decelerate. the road was narrower now with nothing but empty land on either side and a abandoned industrial building in the distance.
a few minutes later, a small roadside store came into view, one of those places that looked as though it had somehow survived decades unchanged. vending machines stood outside, faded advertisements clung to the windows and two old pickup trucks were parked out front.
when the bike finally came to a stop, i waited a few seconds before letting go of him. only then did i realize i’d spent most of the ride wrapped around his waist.
“you hungry?” he asked as he got off the bike, wearing a pair of sunglasses i hadn’t noticed before or maybe i’d just missed the moment he put them on. i looked at the store in front of us and then back at him.
“am i hungry or are you?”
that made him smile instantly.
he didn’t answer and neither of us said anything else. it only made me wonder how much farther we planned to go if he already wanted us to grab something to eat. a small bell above the door rang the moment we stepped inside and the air conditioning hit me immediately, pulling a sigh from my chest that i hadn’t realized i’d been holding. after nearly an hour beneath the brutal texas sun, the inside of the store felt like an oasis.
michael headed straight for the refrigerators in the back while i lingered by the shelves filled with chips, candy and more food. i wasn’t really craving anything but i was sure i’d regret not bringing something with me later.
i picked up a bag of chips i didn’t recognize, looked at it for a second and put it back on the shelf, intending to keep browsing.
“those are awful.” michael said with the sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt now, suddenly appearing beside me with an ice cold bottle of orange juice in his hand.
“is that all you’re getting?” i asked, pointing at the bottle.
“no, i wanted to see if you’d chosen something good.” he glanced at my empty hands “but i guess not.”
i laughed softly and he chuckled, shaking my head.
i tried to hide my smile and turned away to keep looking for a snack that actually appealed to me or at least looked edible. then i wandered over to a smaller cooler a few refrigerators down from the soda section and opened it, pulling out a plastic-wrapped sandwich.
“that can’t be real food.” michael said.
“can you stop criticizing everything i pick? it’s just a sandwich.” i replied, turning toward him with a smile still lingering on my lips.
“you don’t even know if it’s real turkey.”
out of pure stubbornness, i kept the sandwich and walked right past him, adding, “maybe take me to a five-star restaurant next time then.”
that was all i said before continuing down the aisle without looking at him, fully aware of what i was doing.
something caught my eye near the end of the shelf and i quickly realized it was a pack of chocolate chip cookies. i immediately reached for it but so did michael, making our hands bump at the exact same time.
i looked down, then at him, then back at the cookies.
“hey, that’s mine.” i complained. “i saw it first.”
“that’s not true.”
laughing, he snatched the cookies and quickly tucked them against his chest so i couldn’t grab them, hurrying toward the register.
“michael, give it back!” i called after him, following him through the narrow aisles.
“take it if you want it!”
he lifted his arm higher so i couldn’t reach it. even if he wasn’t much taller than me, there was still enough of a difference when he stretched his arm up.
“you’re not even gonna eat those!” i protested, trying to reach them. inevitably, we ended up standing far too close while both pretending not to notice.
“you don’t know that!”
he kept laughing as he made his way to the register, where nobody was standing. he set down the cookies, a bag of mixed nuts he’d apparently grabbed from who knows where and his orange juice on the counter. i placed my things beside his without saying anything. it would’ve been obvious if i’d tried to take the cookies now, we both stood there quietly as if we already knew what was about to happen next.
“one second!” someone shouted from a door beside the register.
i quickly darted my hand toward the cookies. michael immediately moved his hand to stop mine, making me miss completely. both of us laughed, trying to suppress it and then i tried again several times in quick succession, covering my mouth with one hand when i failed every time and nearly burst out laughing.
between quiet laughs, we struggled to compose ourselves while a brown-haired man stepped out of the back room and greeted us with a smile that wasn’t particularly friendly. as he started ringing everything up, we finally managed to get ourselves under control and michael, without saying a word, simply slid the package of cookies over to my side of the counter with a smile tugging at his lips.
that’s what i thought.
“oh wait. i forgot some water.” i said as the man started scanning my things. i hurried back to the refrigerators, grabbed the nearest bottle and headed back.
however, i heard the bell above the entrance ring again and noticed a man approaching michael. i slowed my pace and instead of walking right up beside him, staying far enough away to watch. they stared at each other in silence for a couple of seconds, michael was completely still while the man lifted the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“hey, jackson.” he murmured before turning away without fully taking his eyes off him and heading deeper into the store. michael simply nodded in response and that was when i approached, setting my bottle beside the rest of our things.
i didn’t want to ask right away but i definitely felt the shift in his mood immediately. he seemed uncomfortable as he counted out the rest of the cash in his hands and slid it across the counter, paying for everything including my water. he didn’t say anything else besides a quiet “thanks” to the cashier before grabbing both bags and motioning for me to follow him outside. i noticed how rushed he seemed.
we stepped out of the air conditioned store and straight back into the afternoon heat. the sun was still high overhead, beating down on the asphalt and making the horizon shimmer in the distance.
“let’s go. where we’re headed is right behind this store.” he said with his voice still soft.
i didn’t argue or bombard him with questions.
we walked around the back of the building, where the asphalt gave way to dry dirt and patches of weeds growing wherever they could. to our left stretched an old wire fence, bent and twisted in several places and beyond it there were only miles of flat land baking beneath the sun. of course, i followed him without hesitation, though i couldn’t stop wondering what kind of place could possibly be out here.
“i can carry it. it’s fine.” i said once i caught up beside him, reaching for one of the bags, but he didn’t loosen his grip.
“i promise i won’t eat your cookies.”
that dazzling smile lit up his face again. i pressed my lips together to hide my own smile and let him keep carrying them.
it looked like we were heading somewhere completely unremarkable, a barren stretch of land spanning countless acres with barely any visible vegetation. the heat was brutal, but somehow it felt more bearable when i was with him. after a few moments of silence, i decided to break it with a question that hopefully wasn't too annoying.
“jackson?” i spoke up.
he glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the road ahead.
“that’s my last name.”
how i loved learning things about him, i simply nodded in response. michael jackson really was a pretty name, but of course, i didn’t dare tell him that.
“so, you know that guy?” i tried to soften my voice as much as possible.
michael didn’t rush to answer. it was almost as if he was debating whether to answer at all or deciding how much he wanted to tell me.
“i’d say i’ve seen him around.” he finally said.
and that was it. he didn’t elaborate or continue talking about it, which only made me even more curious. i spent the next few moments trying to figure out another way to get the information out of him. maybe he still didn’t trust me enough or didn’t want to talk about it.
we kept moving through the dirt and dust for a little while longer. in the distance, structures i hadn’t been able to see from the highway slowly began to appear. low bleachers, stacks of tires and an old half-abandoned observation tower gradually came into view.
“well, can you at least tell me where exactly you’re taking me?”
“you’ll see in a second.” the smile he tried to hide failed miserably.
my attention shifted back to the land stretching out before us. from the highway, there had been almost nothing to see, just a few structures peeking out from the dry terrain. but now, standing in front of the entrance, i could make it out clearly. michael had stopped beside me at the entrance to the place.
a metal fence surrounded most of the property. in some sections, it looked like it had been repaired so many times it was impossible to tell which parts were original. a large iron gate stood wide open, leaning slightly to one side as if it had spent years enduring the same relentless wind.
beyond it stretched a worn asphalt track that twisted between dirt mounds and stacks of tires. black skid marks covered nearly every curve, some so fresh they still stood out against the pavement. small clouds of dust occasionally lifted into the air whenever a gust of hot wind swept across the grounds.
off to one side sat a set of old metal bleachers, maybe large enough to hold a few dozen people. nearby stood a wooden booth that had clearly seen better days and a narrow tower from which someone had probably overseen races years ago. the place felt abandoned and alive at the same time, with graffiti painted across crumbling walls and discarded tires scattered near the stands.
but what really caught my attention was the gorgeous black car parked beneath a sheet-metal canopy that had probably been built specifically to shelter vehicles.
when i turned my head, i found michael watching me as if he’d been waiting for exactly that reaction. a huge smile spread across his face, probably the biggest one i’d seen from him so far.
“what is this place?”
honestly, i couldn’t tell whether i was impressed or shocked because this was the last thing i’d expected or because it was the coolest thing i’d ever seen.
“this is where i run.”
“…you race?”
“just sometimes.” he shrugged like a kid who had just revealed his favorite secret and then gestured for me to follow him as he started walking farther onto the property. “come on.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
n/a: so excited to have my babies viv and mikey back!! this and the next one are probably my fav chapters so far, can’t wait for you guys to read it
also, i’m happy to see the way my taglist keeps growing 🫶🏻 please feel free to ask to be added. i’d love to see what you think about the story so far
𝓽aglist:
@1lvie , @pyt03 , @gissellec1 , @beesonnets , @tojiswifeforlife , @triippy2hiippie , @maria111444 , @oopsalltropes , @rosali3show , @angeleface , @ovohanna24 , @madisonsstyles , @multixtingzz , @ksavamp , @l00stang3l
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ star treatment mj
𝓹airing: invincible era!michael jackson x manager!reader
𝓽ype: one-shot
𝓼ummary: as the new general manager of one of michael’s luxury hotel and casino properties, you’ve spent months dealing with his impossible standards and attitude. all you needed was his signature on a few contracts before calling it a night until he turned everything more complicated than it was.
𝓬w: smut, daddy kink, oral (f!receiving), fingering, dom!michael, breeding, use of condoms mentioned, dirty talk, passionate kissing, boss x employee relationship, late office sex, buildup tension, sexual power play and control, strong language.
minors DO NOT interact.
it didn’t matter how many months had passed since your promotion, every time mr. jackson stepped into the hotel, everyone panicked silently.
by now, you were more stressed than intimidated by him. he’d always stop you in hallways to point out a misplaced flower arrangement, a hidden stain in the corner of a carpet or an insignificant crooked lamp, making you roll your eyes the moment he turned away.
everyone barely looked up at him while speaking. meanwhile, you had spent the last several months arguing with him in conference rooms and correcting him whenever you thought he was wrong. michael had been visiting that particular hotel for a while, considering making it the chain's headquarters, which meant triple the work for you.
there were moments, though, when one of his hands brushed yours reaching for the same folder or when he stood a little too close while talking. holding eye contact that close made your stomach twist before you were the one who inevitably looked away.
one of your closest friends at work always said that was why he tolerated your arguments, otherwise, he probably would’ve fired you long ago. you thought that was ridiculous, firmly believing it was because of the hard work you put in every day. you figured the age difference between you probably played a part too. you were still in your early twenties after all.
you hated yourself for remembering the way he looked at you... or how that suit hugged his shape perfectly, also noticing the size of his hands wrapped around any pen or the way he adjusted his glasses. you took a deep breath and kept walking, making sure the vacant rooms were properly locked.
it was almost time to go home, you just needed to leave a few papers at his office for him to review when he came back tomorrow and then you’d be free for the day. your shoulders and back already ached from the stress you had been carrying.
you opened his office door and stepped in, gasping when you looked up and saw him sitting there behind his desk. looks like he was getting comfortable just showing up unannounced. he was already watching you, his lips curled into a slight smirk. the thought of him enjoying scaring you like this made you press your lips together.
“what happened to knockin’ first?” he said. you swallowed hard and stopped right where you were.
“i thought you had left for the day, mr. jackson, i'm sorry. otherwise, you know i would’ve knocked.”
michael didn’t say anything else, he kept looking at you like it was his first time doing it. then he gestured with his chin toward the paperwork in your hands.
“you got somethin’ for me?”
you glanced down at the papers, suddenly remembering what you were supposed to do.
"oh, yes." you walked over to his desk and placed the neatly stacked papers in front of him. “these are the renovation approvals.” michael took one, flipping through the pages with his thumb. “i was hoping you could review them tomorrow so i can sign them when you're done.”
“you’re already leavin’?” he looked up at you again. you nodded.
“yes, if you don’t need anything else.” you said.
“well...” he glanced back at the contract in front of him before looking up again. “would you mind helpin’ me go through these now? i’ve got a full day tomorrow and i don’t think i’m gonna get much time.”
you weren’t even sure what your expression was but you knew you couldn’t say no. you took a moment to take a deep breath before answering.
“sure.” you were already reaching for the papers when michael stopped you.
“let’s do it here, shall we?”
“here? but you-” you cut yourself off with a quiet sigh. “okay.”
you were really tired of arguing with him over nothing, so you went to try to find another chair. before you could even see one, michael was already on his feet, dragging one over and setting it down beside his own. a little too close beside his own, if you were being honest.
you thanked him quietly and sat down, smoothing your skirt over your thighs before shifting the chair a couple of inches away.
michael picked up the first contract from the pile and started reading before stopping and searching for his glasses. you handed them to him, having taken them from his desk where they were hidden behind some folders. your fingers brushed as he took them and he smiled at you.
“thank you.” he said, lowering his voice. you muttered a low ‘you’re welcome’ in response.
“alright.” you began once he put his glasses on. “so the first section covers the renewal agreements for the hotel’s primary vendors. if you sign before the end of the month, we lock in the current rates.” michael simply nodded and uncapped his pen to sign the first section.
for the next minutes, you walked him through figures, removation schedules and more, without him saying a single world. “…which bring us to section two.”
“hold on.” he suddently spoke, making you stop. michael tapped the page lightly. “three million dollars? i don’t think these suits need another redesign.” that made you smile, almost snort.
“they do if you want the guests to keep paying these premium rates.”
your boss just looked at you over the top of his glasses.
“so we’re spendin’ three million dollars on paint and beds.”
“we’re investing three million dollars.” you smiled at him and grabbed the pen he’d left on the desk and handed it to him, waiting for him to take it. “sign the paper, mr. jackson.”
michael knew he had no other choice, so he took the pen from your fingers and signed the first paper. you signed right after.
you were doing pretty well, explaining yourself and making sure he understood each point. but michael didn’t really seem to care, he kept staring at you with his hand resting on his cheek. he didn’t even put his glasses back on, he just signed when you told him to.
you were halfway through the next section when you noticed he hadn’t said a world in around fifteen minutes, so you looked up. “are you even listening?”
“i am.” he smiled, not even bothering to hide that he wasn’t.
“then what did i just say?” you lowered the contract.
“somethin’ about deadlines.” he was impossible, you thought.
“that’s not what i said.” you frowned.
“can you repeat all of it?”
“no.”
michael licked his lips and leaned back on his chair, with that stupid smirk untouched on his lips. you weren’t expecting an answer, so you kept going.
“listen, it’s really getting late and you haven’t paid attention to a single contract.” you said, trying to keep your composure.
“that’s not true. i signed three of ‘em.” he said.
“yes, without reading them.” you answered immediately, he laughed quietly.
“well, that’s ‘cause i trust you.”
you let out a sigh. “that’s not how business work.”
michael shrugged. “you haven’t given me a reason not to.” you didn’t expect that… calm answer from him, so you just took another deep breath and licked your lips.
“can we just finish these contracts, please?”
“i thought we were.”
“we would be if you’d stop staring at me." you answered right away without thinking, immediately regretting it the second the words left your mouth. then an awful silence followed.
you noticed michael’s eyebrows lift slightly.
“that’s what i’m doin’?”
“you know exactly what you’re doing.” you hated how calm you sounded, how you kept talking even though you regretted everything you said, yet you didn’t look away from his eyes.
“you seem pretty sure of that.” he added.
the room suddenly felt smaller as your boss set his pen down, leaned in in his chair and made you feel his breath against your skin.
“and i don’t think i’m the only one doin’ it.”
a sudden blush crawled up your cheeks, and for the first time since you met him, you didn’t know what to say. because even if what you’d been explaining was true, you couldn’t stop looking at him the same way he looked at you. you had to do your best not to become a mess around him.
“maybe if you paid attention to the contracts, i wouldn’t have to.” you said, knowing it was vague but feeling trapped.
michael laughed softly at your comment. “you’re still talkin’ about the contracts?”
the realization that neither of you had talked about work for several minutes now settled heavily on you. your gaze dropped briefly to his lips and then to his desk before returning to his eyes. big mistake, his gaze was already fixed on you again.
“you could’ve left ‘em with my assistant.” michael muttered, still close to you. “but you wanted to bring ‘em yourself.”
“you’re impossible to deal with through other people.” you swallowed hard, trying to hold his gaze as much as you could.
“yeah, you always wanna make sure things get done your way.” two fingers reached up to caress your chin, tilting it up. fuck. “that’s one of the things i like about you.”
deep down, you didn’t want him to pull away. the touch of his fingers and the brush of his lips against yours made you blush even more and twist inside. “michael.” you finally called him by name when you noticed him leaning in but he didn’t seem to care and neither did you.
he kissed you softly at first, tilting his head as you tilted yours, finally melting into his touch. his sweet taste made you part your lips, letting out a soft hum as the kiss slowly deepened. your hand rested on his cheek while his held the side of your neck, pulling you close.
you never imagined he could kiss like this even if you thought about it. it was like he knew exactly when and how to move, matching you perfectly.
he knew you’d been fantasizing about him whenever you were close and you didn’t even have to tell him. you weren’t sure how much longer you could hide the attraction you felt. even when you argued over the most stupid things, he seemed to like it. he was such an elegant and respectful man, even when he was mad, he was a true gentleman. this was too much, even for a professional manager like you.
you let out a sigh as he started trailing wet kisses down your neck. you tilted your head and fluttered your eyes shut. “this isn’t funny, michael...” you insisted, nervousness consuming your whole system. you weren’t sure what you were saying anymore, shifting in your place. but one thing was for sure, you didn’t pull him away. it was wrong but his lips felt really good. “god.”
your boss didn’t stop, instead, he kept trailing wet, soft kisses down your skin while his hands slowly ran up and down your bare legs. he lifted your skirt, warm fingertips brushing the fabric of your panties. he bit softly, then sucked on your skin without pausing his kisses. that’s when you knew it was too late to stop this.
michael took your hand and gently pulled you closer, lifting you jus a little to guide you onto his lap. your breath hitched but you obeyed, sitting carefully and making sure not to touch his belt.
"i’ve always loved that perfume of yours." he admitted in a raspy voice, kissing your jawline as he made his way back to your glossy lips. you didn’t even think twice, parting your lips to kiss him back, gripping his jacket tightly.
the kiss deepened as you both parted your lips wider. he explored the shape of your waist, lower back and thighs, massaging your ass and resting his hand there while the other cupped your breast. you couldn’t help but moan softly when he slid his tongue into your mouth, letting him play with yours and suck on his in return. your bodies fit perfectly together and you hated how quickly you started to get wet. he might have been getting hard too, he made you sit right on his crotch, moaning gently.
you began swaying your hips back and forth, trying to feel his growing hardness beneath you. you bit his bottom lip as you ground against him, desperate to feel more.
“michael… i’m so wet...” you whimpered softly between heated kisses.
“fuck, lemme taste it…” he found the zipper of your skirt, lowering it as he slowly stood to face you, then quickly grabbed you by the waist and placed you on his desk. you barely had time to process what was happening, you just knew you wanted it just as much, so you let him take your skirt off.
michael trailed a wet path of kisses up your leg until he reached your inner thigh, making you push yourself up onto both elbows to make more room for him. he pulled your legs closer while his lips kissed the fabric of your panties, he could feel you throb beneath them.
his thick, warm tongue licked your folds without removing your panties, making you sigh and throw your head back. agile fingers finally slipped the tiny piece of cloth off and you watched him tilt his head to slide his tongue along your slick folds. you both groaned softly at the contact. michael licked, tasting your sweet juices, parting your legs wider and lifting one to rest on his shoulder.
he dived in, tongue parting your folds immediately, lapping at your soaked center. sucking and licking hungrily, both hands gripped your thighs tightly, spreading them wider as he buried his face between your legs, devouring you like a starving man.
the moment he started sucking your clit, you moaned louder, arching your back and gripping the desk’s edge tighter. “oh my… fuck…” he devoured you, his tongue moving quickly up and down as his lips sucked on your sensitive nub now. “that- that feels so fucking good.”
michael looked up at you from between your legs, watching you arch your back, the sight drove him completely wild. he sucked harder on your clit, finally pushing two fingers inside you and curling them to hit your sweet spot. “fuck, look at you...”
you rolled your eyes and tried to cover your mouth with a hand, however, he didn’t let you. instead, he shoved two more fingers into your mouth, making you suck on them.
you stuck out your tongue and licked his fingers before sucking again, trying to roll your hips against his lips and hand for more. they were so large you could barely fit both but you were desperate for his touch, so it didn’t even matter to you. he licked your clit one last time before pulling away, brushing his messy hair back.
that made you cry out. “w-why did you stop…?”
“don’t want you to cum yet.” he said with his breath ragged and lips slightly swollen. “c’mere… want you to taste yourself.”
you quickly leaned in and crashed your lips together like you’d been thirsty for days. he shoved his tongue into your mouth once again as his fingers teased your entrance without sliding in fully. you tasted your juices mixed with his own, humming in delight. "hmm..."
your hands started removing his jacket tossing it on the floor, then moved to the buttons of his shirt. meanwhile, michael undid his belt without taking it off.
he worked on undoing the buttons of your white shirt and you did the rest, getting rid of it completely. he then threw himself at your neck again, rubbing his hard cock covered by thin boxer fabric against your dripping wet pussy. “say it…” he demanded. “be a good girl for me and beg for it.”
“i- i need you- i need you to fuck me so fucking hard…” you breathed raggedly as he unhooked your bra with one hand, practically whimpering in need. “fuck me, please, p-please, i’ll be a good girl for you…”
desperately begging, you lowered a hand to squeeze his crotch, trying to pull his cock out. he chuckled under his breath. “such an eager, pretty girl…” michael pressed his forehead to yours, moaning softly and stroking himself in his hand.
“a condom…” you groaned as he ground his tip against your core, vaguely reminding him.
“fuck that.” he quickly said, grabbing the back of your head to make you look him in the eyes. with his shirt hanging open, he lined himself up and pushed forward, stretching your walls and gripping your thighs’ skin.
for a second, it felt like you both stopped breathing. you tilted your head back and rolled your eyes. “o-oh fuck, m-michael!” you screamed his name. he quickly covered your mouth with a hand, there were still people in the hotel who could hear you.
“shh, there it is.” he whispered, still pushing inside you slowly, letting you feel every thick inch. he moaned deeply when your walls clenched around him immediately. “fuck, you’re so damn tight…” he bottomed out, then pulled back almost all the way before slamming home again, setting a punishing pace that made you whimper even louder against his palm. “that what my girl wanted?”
you nodded with teary eyes as he buried deeper inside your tight cunt, scratching his biceps and back to hold you steady. wrapping an arm under your thigh, he pulled your legs back to spread you wider and pushed your hips up, letting him pound into you like a man possessed, the sound of your skin slapping filling the empty room.
“too hard, baby?” you nodded at every word, still whimpering out loud. "you're gonna stay quiet for daddy, yeah?"
when he removed his hand from your mouth, you swallowed all your moans to try to keep quiet and obey him. but it was hard when he was moving this good.
michael used his now free hand to circle your clit as he thrusted harder into you, you pressed your lips together and cupped his cheeks in your hands, keeping him close as your chest moved up and down heavily. “y-you… you move so fucking good…” you muttered in a ragged breath.
“you’re taking me so well…” he captured your lips in a bruising kiss, swallowing your moans as he slammed into your core harder and deeper, the force of his thrusts making the desk shake violently, all the paperwork and pens fell to the floor, scattering everywhere. "you sound so good for me."
your hard nipples scraping against his chest with each brutal thrust drove him insane, the friction sending sparks of pleasure through him. when michael angled his hips differently, hitting your spot perfectly, you couldn’t help but scream louder while practically twirling on the desk.
“there? you like that spot, princess?” you were unable to say anything, your body and mind were too overwhelmed and you weren’t sure how much more you could take. he was practically making you see stars.
“a-ah! right there, right there, right there! j-just like that…” you stumbled over your words and he hammered into that exact spot over and over, his own control fraying. “faster…”
“mmh. i found your fucking spot, didn’t i?” michael said, tilting his head to catch your nipple with his mouth, slowly sucking on it while you rested a hand on the back of his head to keep him close. "faster what, baby?"
"hmn- fuck me harder... please daddy?" your nails dug into his skin, your walls pulsed around him and you could feel him pounding even deeper like he wanted to hurt you. you couldn’t open your eyes or form a coherent sentence, your belly burning as your orgasm rapidly built.
he played with your other breast as he lost control, your legs shaking uncontrollably wrapped around his waist. after a few more minutes, you finally came. unable to scream at first, you felt your body go weak, nearly collapsing onto the desk.
“a-ah… m-mike-michael, holy fuck!” he caught your weight against him, your walls clenching around him as you reached your orgasm. “c-cum inside me, please, please, cum inside.”
“shit, you’re squeezing me so tight…” he groaned in his husky voice, trying to even his breath. “i’m-ah, imma cum.”
his hips almost lost their rhythm as his orgasm hit, burying himself to the hilt and grinding deep as he came inside her with a broken groan. “ah- take it all, baby... fucking take it all..."
you kept your lips parted, trying to catch your breath. you both moaned at the same time as he filled you with his cum. the warm liquid felt so good inside your sore cunt, drops rolling down your inner thighs.
he rocked his hips slowly through the aftershocks, making sure every last drop was buried deep inside you. michael then leaned down, pressing a sloppy, heated kiss against your lips. both of you were left breathless and trembling.
“y’feel it? every bit inside you?” he pulled back just a little to look into your eyes, trying to catch his breath.
“yeah…” you sighed into the kiss, licking your lips and brushing your noses together. “want every single drop inside me...”
his dick twitched inside you even though he was spent. biting your bottom lip, he added, “you’re gonna keep it inside you all night? let it soak into your pretty little pussy?”
you nodded, pulling him closer like that was physically possible. “don't know if i'll be able to... you're so damn big.” you muttered, playing with his bottom lip with your index finger.
“i haven't finished with you yet, doll...” michael said, playfully biting your finger.
n/a: wrote this listening to invincible on loop on my way to work and finished polishing some details with tranquility base hotel and casino by arctic monkeys on repeat too. this is product of two of my favorite albums of all time 🪽
also pls forgive me if something sounds off, it’s been a while since i wrote smut and i feel a bit rusty but i hope you liked it as much as i did !!
𝓽aglist: @loeylavish , @oopsalltropes , @jenymph , @theballadofandrea , @anotherpartofme22 , @notoriousbria , @lynnnmj
working on chapter 4 of wanted !! should be posted later this week, thank u for ur patience u guys 🫶🏻
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ star treatment mj
𝓹airing: invincible era!michael jackson x manager!reader
𝓽ype: one-shot
𝓼ummary: as the new general manager of one of michael’s luxury hotel and casino properties, you’ve spent months dealing with his impossible standards and attitude. all you needed was his signature on a few contracts before calling it a night until he turned everything more complicated than it was.
𝓬w: smut, daddy kink, oral (f!receiving), fingering, dom!michael, breeding, use of condoms mentioned, dirty talk, passionate kissing, boss x employee relationship, late office sex, buildup tension, sexual power play and control, strong language.
minors DO NOT interact.
it didn’t matter how many months had passed since your promotion, every time mr. jackson stepped into the hotel, everyone panicked silently.
by now, you were more stressed than intimidated by him. he’d always stop you in hallways to point out a misplaced flower arrangement, a hidden stain in the corner of a carpet or an insignificant crooked lamp, making you roll your eyes the moment he turned away.
everyone barely looked up at him while speaking. meanwhile, you had spent the last several months arguing with him in conference rooms and correcting him whenever you thought he was wrong. michael had been visiting that particular hotel for a while, considering making it the chain's headquarters, which meant triple the work for you.
there were moments, though, when one of his hands brushed yours reaching for the same folder or when he stood a little too close while talking. holding eye contact that close made your stomach twist before you were the one who inevitably looked away.
one of your closest friends at work always said that was why he tolerated your arguments, otherwise, he probably would’ve fired you long ago. you thought that was ridiculous, firmly believing it was because of the hard work you put in every day. you figured the age difference between you probably played a part too. you were still in your early twenties after all.
you hated yourself for remembering the way he looked at you... or how that suit hugged his shape perfectly, also noticing the size of his hands wrapped around any pen or the way he adjusted his glasses. you took a deep breath and kept walking, making sure the vacant rooms were properly locked.
it was almost time to go home, you just needed to leave a few papers at his office for him to review when he came back tomorrow and then you’d be free for the day. your shoulders and back already ached from the stress you had been carrying.
you opened his office door and stepped in, gasping when you looked up and saw him sitting there behind his desk. looks like he was getting comfortable just showing up unannounced. he was already watching you, his lips curled into a slight smirk. the thought of him enjoying scaring you like this made you press your lips together.
“what happened to knockin’ first?” he said. you swallowed hard and stopped right where you were.
“i thought you had left for the day, mr. jackson, i'm sorry. otherwise, you know i would’ve knocked.”
michael didn’t say anything else, he kept looking at you like it was his first time doing it. then he gestured with his chin toward the paperwork in your hands.
“you got somethin’ for me?”
you glanced down at the papers, suddenly remembering what you were supposed to do.
"oh, yes." you walked over to his desk and placed the neatly stacked papers in front of him. “these are the renovation approvals.” michael took one, flipping through the pages with his thumb. “i was hoping you could review them tomorrow so i can sign them when you're done.”
“you’re already leavin’?” he looked up at you again. you nodded.
“yes, if you don’t need anything else.” you said.
“well...” he glanced back at the contract in front of him before looking up again. “would you mind helpin’ me go through these now? i’ve got a full day tomorrow and i don’t think i’m gonna get much time.”
you weren’t even sure what your expression was but you knew you couldn’t say no. you took a moment to take a deep breath before answering.
“sure.” you were already reaching for the papers when michael stopped you.
“let’s do it here, shall we?”
“here? but you-” you cut yourself off with a quiet sigh. “okay.”
you were really tired of arguing with him over nothing, so you went to try to find another chair. before you could even see one, michael was already on his feet, dragging one over and setting it down beside his own. a little too close beside his own, if you were being honest.
you thanked him quietly and sat down, smoothing your skirt over your thighs before shifting the chair a couple of inches away.
michael picked up the first contract from the pile and started reading before stopping and searching for his glasses. you handed them to him, having taken them from his desk where they were hidden behind some folders. your fingers brushed as he took them and he smiled at you.
“thank you.” he said, lowering his voice. you muttered a low ‘you’re welcome’ in response.
“alright.” you began once he put his glasses on. “so the first section covers the renewal agreements for the hotel’s primary vendors. if you sign before the end of the month, we lock in the current rates.” michael simply nodded and uncapped his pen to sign the first section.
for the next minutes, you walked him through figures, removation schedules and more, without him saying a single world. “…which bring us to section two.”
“hold on.” he suddently spoke, making you stop. michael tapped the page lightly. “three million dollars? i don’t think these suits need another redesign.” that made you smile, almost snort.
“they do if you want the guests to keep paying these premium rates.”
your boss just looked at you over the top of his glasses.
“so we’re spendin’ three million dollars on paint and beds.”
“we’re investing three million dollars.” you smiled at him and grabbed the pen he’d left on the desk and handed it to him, waiting for him to take it. “sign the paper, mr. jackson.”
michael knew he had no other choice, so he took the pen from your fingers and signed the first paper. you signed right after.
you were doing pretty well, explaining yourself and making sure he understood each point. but michael didn’t really seem to care, he kept staring at you with his hand resting on his cheek. he didn’t even put his glasses back on, he just signed when you told him to.
you were halfway through the next section when you noticed he hadn’t said a world in around fifteen minutes, so you looked up. “are you even listening?”
“i am.” he smiled, not even bothering to hide that he wasn’t.
“then what did i just say?” you lowered the contract.
“somethin’ about deadlines.” he was impossible, you thought.
“that’s not what i said.” you frowned.
“can you repeat all of it?”
“no.”
michael licked his lips and leaned back on his chair, with that stupid smirk untouched on his lips. you weren’t expecting an answer, so you kept going.
“listen, it’s really getting late and you haven’t paid attention to a single contract.” you said, trying to keep your composure.
“that’s not true. i signed three of ‘em.” he said.
“yes, without reading them.” you answered immediately, he laughed quietly.
“well, that’s ‘cause i trust you.”
you let out a sigh. “that’s not how business work.”
michael shrugged. “you haven’t given me a reason not to.” you didn’t expect that… calm answer from him, so you just took another deep breath and licked your lips.
“can we just finish these contracts, please?”
“i thought we were.”
“we would be if you’d stop staring at me." you answered right away without thinking, immediately regretting it the second the words left your mouth. then an awful silence followed.
you noticed michael’s eyebrows lift slightly.
“that’s what i’m doin’?”
“you know exactly what you’re doing.” you hated how calm you sounded, how you kept talking even though you regretted everything you said, yet you didn’t look away from his eyes.
“you seem pretty sure of that.” he added.
the room suddenly felt smaller as your boss set his pen down, leaned in in his chair and made you feel his breath against your skin.
“and i don’t think i’m the only one doin’ it.”
a sudden blush crawled up your cheeks, and for the first time since you met him, you didn’t know what to say. because even if what you’d been explaining was true, you couldn’t stop looking at him the same way he looked at you. you had to do your best not to become a mess around him.
“maybe if you paid attention to the contracts, i wouldn’t have to.” you said, knowing it was vague but feeling trapped.
michael laughed softly at your comment. “you’re still talkin’ about the contracts?”
the realization that neither of you had talked about work for several minutes now settled heavily on you. your gaze dropped briefly to his lips and then to his desk before returning to his eyes. big mistake, his gaze was already fixed on you again.
“you could’ve left ‘em with my assistant.” michael muttered, still close to you. “but you wanted to bring ‘em yourself.”
“you’re impossible to deal with through other people.” you swallowed hard, trying to hold his gaze as much as you could.
“yeah, you always wanna make sure things get done your way.” two fingers reached up to caress your chin, tilting it up. fuck. “that’s one of the things i like about you.”
deep down, you didn’t want him to pull away. the touch of his fingers and the brush of his lips against yours made you blush even more and twist inside. “michael.” you finally called him by name when you noticed him leaning in but he didn’t seem to care and neither did you.
he kissed you softly at first, tilting his head as you tilted yours, finally melting into his touch. his sweet taste made you part your lips, letting out a soft hum as the kiss slowly deepened. your hand rested on his cheek while his held the side of your neck, pulling you close.
you never imagined he could kiss like this even if you thought about it. it was like he knew exactly when and how to move, matching you perfectly.
he knew you’d been fantasizing about him whenever you were close and you didn’t even have to tell him. you weren’t sure how much longer you could hide the attraction you felt. even when you argued over the most stupid things, he seemed to like it. he was such an elegant and respectful man, even when he was mad, he was a true gentleman. this was too much, even for a professional manager like you.
you let out a sigh as he started trailing wet kisses down your neck. you tilted your head and fluttered your eyes shut. “this isn’t funny, michael...” you insisted, nervousness consuming your whole system. you weren’t sure what you were saying anymore, shifting in your place. but one thing was for sure, you didn’t pull him away. it was wrong but his lips felt really good. “god.”
your boss didn’t stop, instead, he kept trailing wet, soft kisses down your skin while his hands slowly ran up and down your bare legs. he lifted your skirt, warm fingertips brushing the fabric of your panties. he bit softly, then sucked on your skin without pausing his kisses. that’s when you knew it was too late to stop this.
michael took your hand and gently pulled you closer, lifting you jus a little to guide you onto his lap. your breath hitched but you obeyed, sitting carefully and making sure not to touch his belt.
"i’ve always loved that perfume of yours." he admitted in a raspy voice, kissing your jawline as he made his way back to your glossy lips. you didn’t even think twice, parting your lips to kiss him back, gripping his jacket tightly.
the kiss deepened as you both parted your lips wider. he explored the shape of your waist, lower back and thighs, massaging your ass and resting his hand there while the other cupped your breast. you couldn’t help but moan softly when he slid his tongue into your mouth, letting him play with yours and suck on his in return. your bodies fit perfectly together and you hated how quickly you started to get wet. he might have been getting hard too, he made you sit right on his crotch, moaning gently.
you began swaying your hips back and forth, trying to feel his growing hardness beneath you. you bit his bottom lip as you ground against him, desperate to feel more.
“michael… i’m so wet...” you whimpered softly between heated kisses.
“fuck, lemme taste it…” he found the zipper of your skirt, lowering it as he slowly stood to face you, then quickly grabbed you by the waist and placed you on his desk. you barely had time to process what was happening, you just knew you wanted it just as much, so you let him take your skirt off.
michael trailed a wet path of kisses up your leg until he reached your inner thigh, making you push yourself up onto both elbows to make more room for him. he pulled your legs closer while his lips kissed the fabric of your panties, he could feel you throb beneath them.
his thick, warm tongue licked your folds without removing your panties, making you sigh and throw your head back. agile fingers finally slipped the tiny piece of cloth off and you watched him tilt his head to slide his tongue along your slick folds. you both groaned softly at the contact. michael licked, tasting your sweet juices, parting your legs wider and lifting one to rest on his shoulder.
he dived in, tongue parting your folds immediately, lapping at your soaked center. sucking and licking hungrily, both hands gripped your thighs tightly, spreading them wider as he buried his face between your legs, devouring you like a starving man.
the moment he started sucking your clit, you moaned louder, arching your back and gripping the desk’s edge tighter. “oh my… fuck…” he devoured you, his tongue moving quickly up and down as his lips sucked on your sensitive nub now. “that- that feels so fucking good.”
michael looked up at you from between your legs, watching you arch your back, the sight drove him completely wild. he sucked harder on your clit, finally pushing two fingers inside you and curling them to hit your sweet spot. “fuck, look at you...”
you rolled your eyes and tried to cover your mouth with a hand, however, he didn’t let you. instead, he shoved two more fingers into your mouth, making you suck on them.
you stuck out your tongue and licked his fingers before sucking again, trying to roll your hips against his lips and hand for more. they were so large you could barely fit both but you were desperate for his touch, so it didn’t even matter to you. he licked your clit one last time before pulling away, brushing his messy hair back.
that made you cry out. “w-why did you stop…?”
“don’t want you to cum yet.” he said with his breath ragged and lips slightly swollen. “c’mere… want you to taste yourself.”
you quickly leaned in and crashed your lips together like you’d been thirsty for days. he shoved his tongue into your mouth once again as his fingers teased your entrance without sliding in fully. you tasted your juices mixed with his own, humming in delight. "hmm..."
your hands started removing his jacket tossing it on the floor, then moved to the buttons of his shirt. meanwhile, michael undid his belt without taking it off.
he worked on undoing the buttons of your white shirt and you did the rest, getting rid of it completely. he then threw himself at your neck again, rubbing his hard cock covered by thin boxer fabric against your dripping wet pussy. “say it…” he demanded. “be a good girl for me and beg for it.”
“i- i need you- i need you to fuck me so fucking hard…” you breathed raggedly as he unhooked your bra with one hand, practically whimpering in need. “fuck me, please, p-please, i’ll be a good girl for you…”
desperately begging, you lowered a hand to squeeze his crotch, trying to pull his cock out. he chuckled under his breath. “such an eager, pretty girl…” michael pressed his forehead to yours, moaning softly and stroking himself in his hand.
“a condom…” you groaned as he ground his tip against your core, vaguely reminding him.
“fuck that.” he quickly said, grabbing the back of your head to make you look him in the eyes. with his shirt hanging open, he lined himself up and pushed forward, stretching your walls and gripping your thighs’ skin.
for a second, it felt like you both stopped breathing. you tilted your head back and rolled your eyes. “o-oh fuck, m-michael!” you screamed his name. he quickly covered your mouth with a hand, there were still people in the hotel who could hear you.
“shh, there it is.” he whispered, still pushing inside you slowly, letting you feel every thick inch. he moaned deeply when your walls clenched around him immediately. “fuck, you’re so damn tight…” he bottomed out, then pulled back almost all the way before slamming home again, setting a punishing pace that made you whimper even louder against his palm. “that what my girl wanted?”
you nodded with teary eyes as he buried deeper inside your tight cunt, scratching his biceps and back to hold you steady. wrapping an arm under your thigh, he pulled your legs back to spread you wider and pushed your hips up, letting him pound into you like a man possessed, the sound of your skin slapping filling the empty room.
“too hard, baby?” you nodded at every word, still whimpering out loud. "you're gonna stay quiet for daddy, yeah?"
when he removed his hand from your mouth, you swallowed all your moans to try to keep quiet and obey him. but it was hard when he was moving this good.
michael used his now free hand to circle your clit as he thrusted harder into you, you pressed your lips together and cupped his cheeks in your hands, keeping him close as your chest moved up and down heavily. “y-you… you move so fucking good…” you muttered in a ragged breath.
“you’re taking me so well…” he captured your lips in a bruising kiss, swallowing your moans as he slammed into your core harder and deeper, the force of his thrusts making the desk shake violently, all the paperwork and pens fell to the floor, scattering everywhere. "you sound so good for me."
your hard nipples scraping against his chest with each brutal thrust drove him insane, the friction sending sparks of pleasure through him. when michael angled his hips differently, hitting your spot perfectly, you couldn’t help but scream louder while practically twirling on the desk.
“there? you like that spot, princess?” you were unable to say anything, your body and mind were too overwhelmed and you weren’t sure how much more you could take. he was practically making you see stars.
“a-ah! right there, right there, right there! j-just like that…” you stumbled over your words and he hammered into that exact spot over and over, his own control fraying. “faster…”
“mmh. i found your fucking spot, didn’t i?” michael said, tilting his head to catch your nipple with his mouth, slowly sucking on it while you rested a hand on the back of his head to keep him close. "faster what, baby?"
"hmn- fuck me harder... please daddy?" your nails dug into his skin, your walls pulsed around him and you could feel him pounding even deeper like he wanted to hurt you. you couldn’t open your eyes or form a coherent sentence, your belly burning as your orgasm rapidly built.
he played with your other breast as he lost control, your legs shaking uncontrollably wrapped around his waist. after a few more minutes, you finally came. unable to scream at first, you felt your body go weak, nearly collapsing onto the desk.
“a-ah… m-mike-michael, holy fuck!” he caught your weight against him, your walls clenching around him as you reached your orgasm. “c-cum inside me, please, please, cum inside.”
“shit, you’re squeezing me so tight…” he groaned in his husky voice, trying to even his breath. “i’m-ah, imma cum.”
his hips almost lost their rhythm as his orgasm hit, burying himself to the hilt and grinding deep as he came inside her with a broken groan. “ah- take it all, baby... fucking take it all..."
you kept your lips parted, trying to catch your breath. you both moaned at the same time as he filled you with his cum. the warm liquid felt so good inside your sore cunt, drops rolling down your inner thighs.
he rocked his hips slowly through the aftershocks, making sure every last drop was buried deep inside you. michael then leaned down, pressing a sloppy, heated kiss against your lips. both of you were left breathless and trembling.
“y’feel it? every bit inside you?” he pulled back just a little to look into your eyes, trying to catch his breath.
“yeah…” you sighed into the kiss, licking your lips and brushing your noses together. “want every single drop inside me...”
his dick twitched inside you even though he was spent. biting your bottom lip, he added, “you’re gonna keep it inside you all night? let it soak into your pretty little pussy?”
you nodded, pulling him closer like that was physically possible. “don't know if i'll be able to... you're so damn big.” you muttered, playing with his bottom lip with your index finger.
“i haven't finished with you yet, doll...” michael said, playfully biting your finger.
n/a: wrote this listening to invincible on loop on my way to work and finished polishing some details with tranquility base hotel and casino by arctic monkeys on repeat too. this is product of two of my favorite albums of all time 🪽
also pls forgive me if something sounds off, it’s been a while since i wrote smut and i feel a bit rusty but i hope you liked it as much as i did !!
𝓽aglist: @loeylavish , @oopsalltropes , @jenymph , @theballadofandrea , @anotherpartofme22 , @notoriousbria , @lynnnmj
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 2
⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 4
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ CHAPTER 3.
fridays were those days when nothing could ruin my good mood, no matter what kind of customers or problems wanted to get in my way at work. not even my dad, who had been there since five in the morning. not even my double date with carol tonight. they were those days when my two days of freedom from my family started. and every time i remembered my date with michael on saturday, a quiet sigh escaped my lips. if i could even call it a date.
i'd barely been able to sleep last night thinking about his hand unbuttoning my blouse, only to tell me he liked seeing my skin. maybe it wasn't butterflies fluttering around in my stomach but it was definitely something pretty close. i hadn't seen or met a man more charming than him and i'd be lying to myself if i said i wasn't intrigued by getting to know him better.
that friday, i left the gas station early. by a little after five, i was already on my way home. my dad let me leave early so i'd have time to get ready and bring everything i needed for my classes on campus over the weekend, when in reality, i'd dropped out of college a couple of months ago.
it was hard to keep a lie that big afloat but i knew it would be even harder to deal with if my parents ever found out. besides, it was the perfect excuse to get away from them at least two days a week.
at a red light, i looked over at the building sitting right beside the road. that was my building, the one where the apartment i'd just started renting was before we were forced to temporary move out because of the renovations. and it wasn't like the place didn't need them, there were plenty of times we'd gone without water or electricity because of internal problems. but i really missed my space and my freedom, even if half the time i didn't know what to do with it.
there were still men working on the roof, fixing electrical wiring. it wasn't anything special like i would've liked, however, it was affordable and good enough for a girl who'd only recently started living on her own.
about fifteen minutes later, i got home and greeted my mom with a kiss and a hug like we always did. i showered to get rid of the sweat and gasoline smell from the day and soon found myself standing in front of my bed packing my weekend bag.
the truth was that i brought fewer things every time because i didn't even know what to tell carol anymore whenever she welcomed me into her dorm room every weekend. this time, i made sure to bring three changes of clothes. one of them, of course, being my favorite outfit for tomorrow with michael.
i finished drying my hair while a golden age hollywood movie played on my television, staring at myself in the vanity mirror. i ran the towel through my hair one more time and just stood there looking at myself as if i'd never done it before. my natural curls spilled over my shoulders and i took a strand between my fingers to look at it more closely. maybe i wouldn't straighten my hair tonight like i usually did and would try wearing it loose instead just to try something different.
i worked some curl cream into it to define it a little more, scrunching it carefully and finally started changing into the most casual clothes i owned: a pair of jeans, my usual boots and a plain long-sleeved shirt.
“are you sure you're bringing enough?” mom asked while i hugged her at the front door, a backpack hanging from one hand and my bag over my shoulder.
i nodded as i slowly pulled away from her. “yeah, remember i already have most of my things there.”
she squeezed my hands between hers and nodded.
“take care, sweetheart. i'll see you monday.”
back in my car with my stuff sitting on the passenger seat, i honked goodbye before driving off, not toward campus to stay in carol's room but toward my boyfriend tony's house. the game and the plan were beginning, along with my weekly taste of freedom.
if it hadn't been for the double date carol had suggested, i probably wouldn't have remembered where tony lived. i'd called him that morning to tell him about our plans, which he'd surprisingly agreed to despite knowing it would end late. he'd also taken the chance to apologize for not being able to come see me at work during the week. i appreciated that internally.
there were days when i wanted to break up with him and others when i didn't. this happened to be one of the days when i didn't want to know anything about him simply because someone else was already occupying my mind. but i couldn't be impulsive without knowing how things would turn out with michael and i really didn't want to hurt tony when he'd been so good to me.
it was one of the many dilemmas constantly living inside my head and making me want to run far away from here, even though i knew it wouldn't solve anything.
he was the one who opened the door a couple of minutes after i knocked. a wide smile spread across his face when he saw me and he immediately wrapped me in a tight hug before kissing my lips.
“hey, love. let me just grab my keys and we can go.”
i gave him a small smile without showing my teeth and took his wallet he handed me before heading back to the car, waiting for him with the passenger door open after moving my things into the back seat.
“i'm surprised you agreed to come.” i told him once we were on the road heading toward the bar where carol and her date were already waiting for us, glancing at him for a second before looking back at the road.
“you kiddin'? it's been a while since we had a date at night. and i missed you all week.”
he took my free hand and pressed a soft kiss against it before holding it between both of his.
i didn't answer immediately like i usually did.
“i missed you too.”
i turned up the radio after gently slipping my hand out of his grasp, trying to fill some of the silence that, at times, made me feel a little guilty.
the hook up bar was about thirty minutes outside of downtown odessa. carol and i liked picking places far from the city to avoid familiar faces recognizing me and running back to tell my dad about it and every weekend we'd go off exploring new places after she finished her classes in the afternoon. this was one of my favorite bars because of the drinks they served and the live performances that gave the place its cool atmosphere. i knew it wouldn't exactly be tony's kind of place but he seemed happier than usual that night. maybe he really had missed me as much as he said.
i grabbed my handbag, where i had my change of clothes, and together we got out of the car and headed toward the bar sitting on a corner along the nearly empty highway, illuminated by yellow lights and a few neon signs flickering above the old wooden facade. several motorcycles rested near the entrance while reddish lights glowed from inside.
the familiar smell of alcohol and cigarettes hit me the moment we walked in. tony held my hand while looking around the place as if he'd never stepped foot inside a bar before. i practically had to guide him through the crowd while looking for carol, who was standing near her table waving her arm at us.
a guy was sitting at the table while carol and i greeted each other with a hug, and he got to his feet as soon as tony slowly made his way over to us.
“oh my god, i’m so happy you're here.” carol wrapped me in another hug. “i need you to meet someone.” she squealed and turned to grab the guy's hand, pulling him closer to us. he had a mess of brown hair falling over tired eyes and an easy smile on his face as he looked at both of us. “viv, he's garrett, my boyfriend. garrett, she's viviana, my best friend.”
“nice to meet you. i've heard a lot about you.” i shook his hand politely.
“likewise.” the guy said with a small chuckle.
“he's tony, my boyfriend.”
tony shook his hand too, offering a friendly “how are you, man?” he then added, “it's nice to see you again, carol.” tony told her as everyone settled into the wooden chairs around the rectangular table covered by a worn plastic tablecloth.
i excused myself for a moment to go change in the bathroom, quickly making my way inside. it was lit by a dim purple light and a few strands of christmas lights hanging above the mirror. the heat was unbearable, which was why i'd decided on a denim skirt that reached my thighs, a white top and a little denim vest that matched the skirt.
i dug through my bag only to realize i'd forgotten my belt. still, the skirt was tight enough without it. looking at myself in the mirror, i touched up my usual makeup, except this time i made my lashes a little thicker and added a slightly darker color to my lips before finishing everything off with my signature perfume.
i was back at the table within minutes, receiving compliments from both my friend and tony before taking my seat beside him. all of us ordered a round of tequila and the waitress left us a small plate with lime wedges and salt to add however we liked.
i squeezed some lime into my mouth after taking the tequila in a single shot, making a sour face while the guys laughed and a classic rock band played onstage. even though he was there, tony never really seemed to become part of the conversation, while garrett felt more like another friend of mine. that was always my problem with tony, he didn't know how to be part of a conversation if it wasn't about his job or his future. but i was having such a good time that i didn't bother trying to include him the way i usually had to.
however, tony eventually found a moment to start talking to both of them about his stupid job and his position at the company he worked for, as always. he didn't even bother keeping his mouth shut when he started talking about how he planned to have a family with me someday and i had to press my lips together to keep from being rude. he was boring and always talked about the same things no matter who he was with, and honestly, it didn't even have anything to do with what garrett had been talking about.
at one point, the band got so good that all four of us turned to watch them play, simply nodding our heads to the rhythm of the music and taking drinks every now and then. it was something i appreciated deeply because none of the three of us seemed to know how to respond to tony anymore.
without meaning to, my eyes drifted toward the entrance after catching sight of a tall figure out of the corner of my eye. the man was taking off his jacket, followed by another man a little shorter than him. and also without meaning to, my breath caught in my throat when i realized it was michael walking in behind him.
the two of them took seats at the bar on a pair of tall stools while they talked. michael was wearing his hair down like always, though his curls looked a little messier than they had yesterday. even so, he was wearing a jacket that was more fitted and buttoned up than the ones i was used to seeing him in, along with a thicker leather belt detailed with silver hardware.
i ran my tongue over my bottom lip to stop a sigh from escaping.
my mind immediately got stuck on a hundred different questions and the worst part was that i wouldn't be able to answer any of them, at least not tonight.
i tried to look back at the band but i couldn't focus the way i had before no matter how hard i tried. my eyes kept wandering back to him, then to the stage, then to tony's hand resting on mine on top of the table.
my legs itched with the urge to get up and talk to him, to ask how he was doing, to find out if he was excited about tomorrow. i knew i could never do that with tony and carol sitting right beside me and michael seemed completely focused on his conversation with the man, who looked older than him.
it looked like michael had ordered something i couldn't quite make out while the other guy held a can of beer in his hand. i swallowed hard and forced myself to focus, by then i was already too restless.
at any moment he could turn around and see tony's arm around my shoulders and maybe he wouldn't want to see me again after that.
damn it, viviana.
why, out of every bar in odessa, did he have to come to this one? and on the exact night i happened to be here with my friend and my boyfriend. it was almost like he knew exactly what he was doing.
so i started picking at my nails, scratching at the black polish as if i hadn't just painted them. tony looked over when he noticed i wasn't enjoying the music anymore and gently squeezed my shoulder.
“all good, darling?” he muttered.
i nodded slowly, glancing up at him.
“yeah, i'm just tired. maybe it was the tequila.”
he nodded at that before pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“let me know when you wanna go, okay?”
i simply didn't answer. everyone around us was clapping for the band as they finished their set, people shouting for more songs. i noticed michael had turned toward the stage too, clapping along while smiling when the vocalist agreed to play a few more.
then carol and garrett grabbed each other's hands and got up to dance like most of the couples in the bar. i quickly lowered my gaze, the guitar and drums started up again and before long i found myself looking at michael once more while my finger traced the rim of my glass.
the small smile on my face disappeared when i looked back toward the bar.
a woman was running her hand over michael's shoulder and his hand rested on her hip, caressing it. the woman wore a short leather skirt and fishnet stockings, along with a top that looked like it was barely holding together.
my gaze dropped to my glass and i immediately tipped the shot of tequila back into my mouth, feeling my throat burn as the liquid went down. i coughed a little when a few drops went down the wrong way and tony looked at me again.
“viv, you're not okay.”
it took me a few moments to answer him, and i nodded again, still coughing a little. in the end, i couldn't form a single word.
“what was that for? you drank it really fast.”
i still couldn't answer because i kept coughing, probably because of my own saliva at this point.
“i'll go get some water, okay? stay here.”
when tony got up and i was left alone at the table, i looked at him again. he was still talking to that woman as if they'd known each other for a long time and the thought of that possibility made me feel even worse.
tony came back with a glass of water and sat down beside me again. i took it and drank slowly so the same thing wouldn't happen again, clearing my throat and exhaling softly once the irritation finally faded.
“thank you, tony. i don't know what happened.” i told him without looking at him, still clearing my throat a little.
he, however, was looking directly at me.
“it’s okay. it’s just that… you've seemed distracted for the past few minutes. are you sure you're okay?”
“yeah, i already told you i'm just tired.”
that was all i said without looking at him but he didn't seem convinced.
“you didn't seem tired a little while ago. it feels like this only happens when you're with me.”
for some reason, that irritated me. it was then that i looked back at him without lifting myself from the back of my chair.
“all you do is talk about your job.” i replied flatly, my glass of water resting against the table with my hand wrapped around it. “and i've had a rough week. it's like you don't even know that.”
“i didn't know that bothered you.” he answered before adding, “all i wanted was to spend time with you tonight and dance, dance like every other couple.”
i shrugged slightly.
“i'm sorry. i'm really exhausted, tony.”
he sighed and lowered his gaze for a second, taking his time to answer.
“then you shouldn't have agreed to come.”
that made me frown.
“i did it because i didn't want to leave carol alone. if you don't like it, then you can leave.”
that was all i said before grabbing my purse and getting up from my chair.
“viv.” he called after me as he turned in his seat, i was already walking toward the door leading to the second floor balcony of the bar. he didn't follow me and i didn't want him to either.
fortunately, the balcony was empty, so i closed the door behind me once i stepped outside.
i closed my eyes the second the wind hit my face and leaned against the railing, covering my face with both hands before lowering them and staring out at the desert and the empty road stretching ahead of me, the music sounding muffled from the floor below.
i searched through my bag for my emergency pack of cigarettes. when i found it, i slipped one between my lips and shielded the flame with my hand to keep the wind from putting it out, taking my first drag once it caught. i tucked the lighter back into my bag and held the cigarette between two fingers, feeling the smoke settle into my lungs and making me sigh at the sensation.
at some point i would have to tell tony how tired i was of his monotony and the way he only seemed to dream about marrying me and making me the mother of his children when i didn’t dream of that, i wanted more.
he didn't seem to think about anything else and all it did was make me feel trapped. he'd been charming when we met seven months ago, now he seemed absorbed by a version of himself i wasn't interested in anymore.
his image with her popped into my head then. that was when i tried to accept that michael maybe didn't really want to know me the way i wanted to know him and i couldn't blame him. not only because we were nothing to each other but because i was in a relationship while also interested on him.
all i was doing was sinking myself deeper and deeper with fewer chances of finding a way out.
“i thought you'd be inside with your date.”
my entire body tensed when his soft, velvety voice came from behind me. my head had been buried between my arms, resting against the iron and wooden railing.
slowly, i lifted my head and looked over my shoulder, the cigarette still burning between my fingers. michael was walking toward me at a slow pace, a crooked smile barely pulling at the corners of his lips.
i felt my stomach drop all the way to the floor as my mind processed that he was talking to me, forcing myself to blink and straightened from where i'd been leaning.
then i tried to remember what he'd actually said so i could answer him, after spending a few seconds simply staring at his face once he stopped beside me.
“i, uh, my date?” i asked a few seconds later.
that made him laugh under his breath.
“the guy who had his hands all over you downstairs.” he said, resting his elbows against the railing as he looked at me, waiting for an answer.
i swallowed hard and looked ahead, closing my eyes before speaking.
“he's my boyfriend.” i admitted with a sigh, turning to look at him, anxious for his reaction.
he nodded, tilting his head slightly as if he was amused by all of this while i was a bundle of nerves over whether he'd decide not to see me again.
instead, he commented. “he know you're out here talking to a stranger?”
i snorted, taking a drag from my cigarette.
“i wouldn't say you're a stranger anymore. i know your name and where you're from. and that you like bikes.”
that made both of us chuckle. his laugh was as gorgeous as his smile and i hated myself for noticing and loving all those little details about him.
at least he'd stayed there with me despite knowing.
“well, i know your name too and where you work. i know your dad or i think i do. and i know your boyfriend now. he said before adding, “and that you smoke.”
i exhaled smoke, trying not to smile.
“i only do it when i'm stressed.”
“noted.” he rested his chin against his hand as if he were studying me a little more closely. “and now i know you're naturally curly too.”
for a moment, i'd forgotten he'd only ever seen me with straight hair. my cheeks suddenly wanted to blush.
“i guess you know more about me now than i know about you.” i told him, speaking almost in a whisper as if someone might walk in and overhear us.
“it's a start.” he said immediately. he then reached out and brushed a few of my curls with his thumb. “i like them. i think they suit you better.”
for a moment, our eyes stayed locked on each other and i wasn't sure whether i should step away or just keep talking, i just knew i couldn't allow that if tony was still downstairs, so i broke eye contact and took another drag from my cigarette.
“so, uh... what's your deal with her?” i asked without looking at him.
he straightened a little but didn't move away from me.
“her?” he repeated.
“the woman downstairs.”
i didn't want it to sound like i was accusing him of anything or even jealous but i wasn't going to be at peace without an answer at least.
“is that what we're talking about now?” suddenly, he was smiling wider this time.
“friend of yours?”
i immediately regretted asking because he looked like he was having fun with it.
“were you watching me?”
“answer my question first.” i demanded, trying not to sound like some crazy girl desperate to know about his life.
“yes, she is. happy now?” he lightly nudged my shoulder, playful about it and i kept my smile while taking another drag.
“cool. just wondering if you had some secret girlfriend i should know about.”
“would you still go on our ride tomorrow if she was?” he murmured. shit.
i leaned a little closer so i could answer him in the same tone. “i would.”
he looked like he had just as many questions for me as i had for him and somehow it felt like we were running out of time, so he took control of the conversation.
“now it's your turn to answer. were you watching me?”
i nodded, completely focused on his eyes.
“words.” he said and i didn't hesitate to obey.
“i was.”
“you were what?”
“i was watching you.”
this smile looked more like a smirk, satisfied by the effect he had on me.
large fingers grazed my cheek and slid down to my chin, his head tilting as if silently approving what he saw. the simple gesture sent a wave of warmth through me, sending a shiver down my spine. i had to fight the sudden urge to kiss him until i could no longer hold my breath, being that close to him definitely made it difficult to think about anything else.
“that’s a good girl…” michael murmured, barely audible to either of us and my skin prickled even more at his words. i leaned into his touch, wanting more of it.
but michael pulled away almost immediately. the night air rushed back around me and he glanced over his shoulder, leaving me confused. he looked over his shoulder and didn't say another word and just a couple of seconds later, i understood why: there were footsteps getting closer.
“oh, there you are.” tony’s voice broke the soft silence of the balcony.
he then stepped outside and walked a little closer to us. i didn't say anything, i was too tense to answer right away because i felt trapped despite not having done anything. michael didn't speak either.
“am i interrupting something?” he looked at him and then looked at me.
“no, he's just an acquaintance from college.” i said quickly. even i could tell my expression had changed all of a sudden.
tony looked at michael and nodded in greeting, muttering a ‘hey, dude’. michael just lifted a hand, forcing a smile without showing his teeth.
“viv, i need to talk to you.” tony started and it’s when michael moved, my eyes immediately landed on him as he slowly stepped back.
“well, i'll let you get back to your date. see ya.” and then he disappeared through the door, leaving us alone.
the fact that he'd used the word date instead of boyfriend made me want to tighten my grip around the railing. i could feel the way my mood sink all over again when i stopped being able to smell his cologne nearby.
i didn't want to face reality with tony but he was already talking. and of course, i wasn't listening to a single word he was saying.
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n/a: felt this one a little weak lol but i still enjoyed writing it, i have so many ideas for this u guys are not ready, hope u like it!!
𝓽aglist:
@1lvie , @pyt03 , @gissellec1 , @beesonnets , @tojiswifeforlife , @triippy2hiippie , @maria111444 , @oopsalltropes , @rosali3show , @angelfceee , @ovohanna24
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 1
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ CHAPTER 2.
i was already awake when the digital alarm clock on my nightstand started going off. with one hand over my face and my eyes still closed, i reached blindly with the other to shut it off.
i rubbed my face with the same hand and let out a deep sigh before slowly sitting up on the narrow mattress, pushing the white sheets off my legs. morning light had already started slipping through the windows behind the thin floral curtains, casting the room in a warm and faded glow.
i always took my time getting out of bed like it was six in the morning when really it was already nine. i needed my full nine hours of sleep or my body would start giving up on me halfway through the day.
last night after getting home, i spent almost an hour under the water trying to wash the smell of gasoline off my skin. afterward, i took my makeup off, did my skincare routine and sat on my bed watching roman holiday on the tiny television across my room. of course, i refused to fall asleep before the movie ended.
on my way to the bathroom, i adjusted the neckline of my brown top and the waistband of my matching plaid shorts, dragging my bare feet across the wooden floor. after splashing some water on my face, i dried it with a towel and headed into the living room, brushing my straight brown hair back as my mom came into view.
she was sitting in the living room armchair watching the news channel with the remote in her hand and her legs slightly crossed, without leaning all the way back. it felt unusually strange to have the house so quiet in the morning though.
“mornin’, mom." i said as i walked toward her.
my mom finally sat up when she saw me, lifting an arm to hug me as i leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“good mornin’, honey. how are ya?” her sweet voice asked, turning her attention back to the screen. “i made you breakfast. it’s in the microwave.”
“oh- thank you.”
i frowned slightly at her unexpected gesture, since it was my usual thing to get up and make breakfast even when i didn’t feel like it. i turned toward the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a half wall that opened onto the counter and a small island beyond it. i figured she'd done it because she'd started worrying about how little i actually ate in the mornings.
i pulled out a chair at the dining table and set my plate of eggs and bacon down before taking a sip from the mug of coffee i'd just poured myself.
"where's dad? thought we were headin' in together today."
she sighed, then lowered the volume on the tv a bit and walked into the kitchen with an empty cup in hand.
"old ronnie called early this morning and said he needed help at the shop." she explained as she carefully filled her cup with coffee. "don't ask me what for but your dad said you’d go and he’d come later.” a small spoon swirled in her coffee after she added a little sugar, then she took a sip.
i couldn’t help but smile while chewing the scrambled egg in my mouth. “so that means i’m in charge today?”
“he said he’d ask joey to cover your station today, so…” she shrugged. “i guess not today, honey.”
that wasn’t the only reason i was smiling, even though i liked the idea of replacing my dad for a few hours. dad had a rule that i couldn’t wear anything from my closet to the gas station because it was 'provocative' or gave 'a bad image' to customers, so today was my day.
while i washed my dishes and put everything away, mom told me my brother, andrew, had called earlier too. apparently, his doctor's appointment had gone well this morning. his wife was about five months pregnant if i remembered correctly and ever since then he'd been calling us more than usual. he'd been living in austin with her for several years now and despite being only three years older than me, he seemed convinced that gave him the right to treat me like a little kid sometimes.
my day officially started when i opened my closet, standing there checking each piece carefully, tapping my chin with a finger. once i realized how much time i'd wasted trying to decide, i grabbed the options i liked best and hurried to get dressed. i put on a fitted plaid blouse in shades of wine and cream with lace trimmed sleeves and a pair of denim shorts that hit my thighs.
after slipping on my russet cowboy boots, i buckled a thin black belt and checked myself in the mirror. by ten thirty i was out the door with my bag on my shoulder after i knocked on the bathroom door to let my mom know i was leaving while she showered.
feeling pretty good about my outfit and even better about the way my hair had decided to behave that morning, i started up my ford and headed toward the gas station with the radio turned up loud, humming along to songs i vaguely recognized.
the heat was already settling in for the day but i did my best not to let it ruin my mood or my excitement over getting a few hours away from my dad's watchful eye.
every day i passed the silver lake motel, i’d glance over knowing his bike wouldn’t be there, but still, i looked. at that point, i'd pretty much convinced myself that a chance encounter with a guy like michael wasn't something that happened twice in a lifetime.
i'd spent far too much time replaying the whole thing in my head, wondering if i should've flirted a little more, asked for his number or at least learned something about him. but there wasn't much point torturing myself over something that had happened nearly a week ago.
before getting out of the car, i touched up my lashes with a coat of mascara, added a little blush, a subtle swipe of eyeliner and some lip gloss. then i pulled on the oversized station shirt that was like three sizes too big.
joey, the manager from one of my family's other gas stations, was already there when i walked into the store. he was a family man, a little taller than me, greeting me with a friendly smile and a nod while holding a coke in one hand and proudly wearing his station uniform.
“hey, joey." i said, dropping my bag on the usual counter.
“hi, viv." he answered without looking up, focused on scribbling something into a notebook. “been a minute, how are classes goin'?"
that threw me a little bit, answering right away to not make it obvious. “good.” i said, taking some change from my wallet. “better than ever. how are you?”
"oh, can't complain. was a little surprised your daddy asked me to come over here today, this has always been my favorite station." he smiled up at me and i smiled back, straightening the oversized shirt over my torso.
“you mind stayin’ inside while i handle the pumps?” i asked, heading to the door. being cooped up indoors all day always made me feel restless, so when he agreed without hesitation, my mood improved even more.
by eleven o'clock, the sun was hot enough to melt the pavement. most of our customers had known me for years, even before i officially started working there, so helping them out and earning tips came easy. matt and the other new guy handled tires, oil changes and gas whenever things got busy.
with the weather being what it was, i couldn't help appreciating the fact that i wasn't wearing the pants my father insisted on the rest of the time.
when it quieted, i leaned on a pump for a long drink of cold water, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. i didn't even get five minutes of peace before a familiar red car pulled up in front of me. the passenger window rolled down and my friend carol’s bright face popped out.
after a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she perched on the pump beside me fanning herself with one hand. her light brown hair barely moved in the thick heat.
“so, what you say?” she asked, smiling. i made a little face. "oh come on, viv. you know i've always wanted us to go on a double date."
"can't it be friday night instead?" i asked. "my dad won't let me leave early tonight and y'know that."
she sighed and thought it over for a second before crossing her arms over her white lace trimmed top.
"fine, i'll tell garrett tomorrow night instead. but i wanna see you there, hear me?"
i nodded, forcing a small smile. “deal.”
she squealed and wrapped me in a quick hug. “you’re the best. see ya tomorrow night then.”
before driving off, she blew me a kiss from the car and i waved. once she was on the highway i let out a long sigh, there was no way of getting out of this plan. and it wasn’t even the bar or that carol wanted to go out with me and her new guy, it was something worse. or someone.
after lunch, the rest of the afternoon passed by faster than i expected. by four, we were down to a single customer having trouble with his tires and matt went to help him while a few people sat inside eating hot dogs.
i was standing near pump three, carefully coiling one of the hoses when i heard the roar of a motorcycle engine approaching. i squinted into the sun to try to see, my heart racing when i recognized the harley pulling into pump two. god, it had to be him.
when i finished coiling the hose as quickly as i could, i adjusted the loose shirt and unbuttoned a couple small buttons at my chest of my blouse to show a bit of neckline. once i felt reasonably put together, i cleared my throat and headed over at him.
those long, dark curls greeted me first. he was bent over the bike with his back to me as he inspected something on the motorcycle. he wore the same heavy boots as last time with tight black pants, a leather belt and a red shirt beneath a black jacket trimmed with white details.
i bit the inside of my cheek before breaking the silence.
“need some assistance, sir?” i asked in my sweetest tone.
it looked like my voice pulled him out of his bubble. he turned his head first and then the rest of his body. a crooked smile tugged at his lips and i couldn't help looking at one dark curl that had fallen across his forehead, brushing against the frame of his sunglasses.
“i’d just like yours, actually.” his velvet voice on each word made me want press my lips together to hold a smile back. but i just laughed softly.
“well, it’s your lucky day.” i raised my shoulders. “what’s wrong?”
"it's been makin' this little noise." he said, resting a hand on the seat. "thought i'd take a look and make sure everything’s okay. think i could borrow a toolbox for a minute?"
“uh yeah. hold on.” i turned and searched for one of the guys. one of them had just stepped over to pump three when i whistled to get his attention. “hey, you… uh, clark? yeah, you, can you bring the toolbox? it’s under the counter.”
when i looked back at michael, i smiled as though i hadn't just shouted across half the station.
"you seem... pretty in charge around here." he added, taking off his sunglasses and letting me see the dark liner in his waterline.
“i technically am.” i took a couple of steps closer, though not too close. “my dad’s the gas station owner.”
michael seemed to think about that for a moment like he was trying to remember. “is he the man that…?”
“yeah.” i cut him off, knowing it’d been a memorable first impression. “he’s just like that, i’m not proud of it.”
he shrugged lightly as he gave me another precious smile. "well… that's not such a bad thing. i kinda like bossy girls."
for a second his eyes dropped to my chest, then back to mine. he slowly wiped a corner of his lip with his thumb to then rest his hand on the bike again. dear lord.
i gave him the same smile back, not being sure of what answer should i pick. i never overthought when someone interested me and now i wanted to be ready so i wouldn’t look crazy.
"thought you'd headed back home to go after those. wherever that is." i teased.
"yeah, indiana's a little too far away for that."
i took a mental note that he was from indiana. it was not much information but definitely more than i'd had before.
"well, you disappeared. figured i'd never see you around here again." maybe i purred a bit too much, but it worked because his gaze dropped to my chest before meeting my gaze again.
"and that would've been a shame?" his eyebrow lifted just a little.
"maybe.” i shrugged, trying to look far more relaxed than i felt. “my other theory was that you had been murdered in that motel.”
i noticed him pressing his lips together and licking them to hold back another chuckle.
“it’s not that bad. i’ve definitely stayed in worst places.”
it was me the one who raised an eyebrow this time, making me wonder if he traveled a lot. “that so?”
instead of explaining himself, he added: “you know, i wouldn’t leave this place without...”
“sorry!” clark’s breathless voice cut him off, making both of us turn at him. he’d run over carrying the toolbox, apologizing for taking so long and explaining he'd had trouble finding it. i thanked him and told him to take a break, feeling bad michael might actually think i was bossy.
michael set the toolbox on the ground before crouching beside the motorcycle to take a look underneath. i didn’t want to interrupt but i also wanted him to remember what he was gonna say while i had his attention. "need me to bring you anything else?"
he looked up, shifting so i could sit beside him. “i could use some company.”
another smile pulled at my lips, licking my lower one. i was about to sit down when one of our regular customers rolled in with a large truck and parked at pump four. matt and clark were still occupied with the tire customer, which meant the truck was my problem. i cursed silently. if i left now, maybe he’d be gone again.
"could you just wait a minute? i gotta go help that truck."
he glanced over his shoulder before looking back at me. "yeah, sure. i'll be here."
that answer eased my nerves a little, though i wasn’t sure he’d keep his word.
i practically ran to mr. robinson’s truck, buttoning my big work shirt to cover my neckline. joey also came outside to help since mr. robinson needed a large fill-up and wanted to talk about some replacement parts he ordered and never arrived.
every now and then i caught myself glancing back toward michael to make sure he was still there. each time, i'd find him sitting by the bike, adjusting something or checking the tires and i'd force myself to focus on the problem my dad had left us to deal with, a problem he hadn't even bothered calling about all day. honestly, that was probably better for everyone.
joey sorted the parts issue and about forty minutes later, i found myself heading back to michael, now parked in front of the convenience store holding the toolbox. the sky was darkening and a breeze blew our hair, he'd removed his jacket and draped it over the motorcycle.
"sorry about that." i said once i reached him. "he's one of my dad's important customers."
"that's alright, i don’t mind waitin'. i wanted to."
he carefully handed me the box back, murmuring a soft thanks as i took it and set it aside on the pavement, dusting my hands. only then did i notice the bandages still wrapped around his fingers.
“you were gonna say somethin’ before my employee interrupted…” i started saying. not fully leaned on the bike, he curved his lips at my comment.
"what i was gonna say is that i wouldn't leave without askin' if you'd like to go ridin' with me."
suddenly, my mouth felt dry as i tried not to seem obvious.
“…right now?” a little laugh escaped him.
"if that's what you'd like." fuck, he couldn’t do that to me.
i glanced at the clock hanging inside the store: it was almost six. i still had a couple of hours of work and i hated the world in that moment. then i looked back at him, not sure of how he'd take it.
“i’d love to but i can’t just leave work. my dad would kill me.” i’d never felt stupider. all the confidence i’d kept for years suddenly seemed to crumb when those words left my mouth.
michael nodded and slowly sat up from his bike. “how would saturday sound?"
without thinking twice, i nodded like a fool, smiling wider at his offer.
“saturday sounds good." i muttered.
a pleased smile curved his lips and he stepped in closer than he had before, making me notice our height difference. he was just a few inches taller, still, it made a difference. i tried to even my breath so it wouldn’t hit his skin and show how i fluttered.
his hands touched the button on my loose shop shirt and slowly opened it more to show the small bit of chest i’d revealed earlier. “you should wear it more like this. i like it better.” he murmured and turned to climb onto the motorcycle after looking straight into my eyes for a moment.
i stood there, caressing the button he’d touched with my thumb, watching him ride off like a bullet. i didn't know how long i stayed trying to process it. i finally exhaled, realizing i’d been holding my breath again.
“holy shit.”
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n/a: i enjoyed writing this chapter so much and you guys have no idea of how fast i finished it bc i was really inspired. can’t wait for you to see what’s gonna happen on the next chapter mehehe
also, if you’d like to get notified whenever i post a new chapter, remember to comment below to be added to my taglist ❕ requests will be closed soon
𝓽aglist:
@1lvie , @pyt03 , @gissellec1 , @beesonnets , @tojiswifeforlife , @triippy2hiippie , @maria111444 , @oopsalltropes , @rosali3show
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, 80s southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
⠀⠀┃ ⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 1 & CHAPTER 3
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ CHAPTER 2.
i was already awake when the digital alarm clock on my nightstand started going off. with one hand over my face and my eyes still closed, i reached blindly with the other to shut it off.
i rubbed my face with the same hand and let out a deep sigh before slowly sitting up on the narrow mattress, pushing the white sheets off my legs. morning light had already started slipping through the windows behind the thin floral curtains, casting the room in a warm and faded glow.
i always took my time getting out of bed like it was six in the morning when really it was already nine. i needed my full nine hours of sleep or my body would start giving up on me halfway through the day.
last night after getting home, i spent almost an hour under the water trying to wash the smell of gasoline off my skin. afterward, i took my makeup off, did my skincare routine and sat on my bed watching roman holiday on the tiny television across my room. of course, i refused to fall asleep before the movie ended.
on my way to the bathroom, i adjusted the neckline of my brown top and the waistband of my matching plaid shorts, dragging my bare feet across the wooden floor. after splashing some water on my face, i dried it with a towel and headed into the living room, brushing my straight brown hair back as my mom came into view.
she was sitting in the living room armchair watching the news channel with the remote in her hand and her legs slightly crossed, without leaning all the way back. it felt unusually strange to have the house so quiet in the morning though.
“mornin’, mom." i said as i walked toward her.
my mom finally sat up when she saw me, lifting an arm to hug me as i leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“good mornin’, honey. how are ya?” her sweet voice asked, turning her attention back to the screen. “i made you breakfast. it’s in the microwave.”
“oh- thank you.”
i frowned slightly at her unexpected gesture, since it was my usual thing to get up and make breakfast even when i didn’t feel like it. i turned toward the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a half wall that opened onto the counter and a small island beyond it. i figured she'd done it because she'd started worrying about how little i actually ate in the mornings.
i pulled out a chair at the dining table and set my plate of eggs and bacon down before taking a sip from the mug of coffee i'd just poured myself.
"where's dad? thought we were headin' in together today."
she sighed, then lowered the volume on the tv a bit and walked into the kitchen with an empty cup in hand.
"old ronnie called early this morning and said he needed help at the shop." she explained as she carefully filled her cup with coffee. "don't ask me what for but your dad said you’d go and he’d come later.” a small spoon swirled in her coffee after she added a little sugar, then she took a sip.
i couldn’t help but smile while chewing the scrambled egg in my mouth. “so that means i’m in charge today?”
“he said he’d ask joey to cover your station today, so…” she shrugged. “i guess not today, honey.”
that wasn’t the only reason i was smiling, even though i liked the idea of replacing my dad for a few hours. dad had a rule that i couldn’t wear anything from my closet to the gas station because it was 'provocative' or gave 'a bad image' to customers, so today was my day.
while i washed my dishes and put everything away, mom told me my brother, andrew, had called earlier too. apparently, his doctor's appointment had gone well this morning. his wife was about five months pregnant if i remembered correctly and ever since then he'd been calling us more than usual. he'd been living in austin with her for several years now and despite being only three years older than me, he seemed convinced that gave him the right to treat me like a little kid sometimes.
my day officially started when i opened my closet, standing there checking each piece carefully, tapping my chin with a finger. once i realized how much time i'd wasted trying to decide, i grabbed the options i liked best and hurried to get dressed. i put on a fitted plaid blouse in shades of wine and cream with lace trimmed sleeves and a pair of denim shorts that hit my thighs.
after slipping on my russet cowboy boots, i buckled a thin black belt and checked myself in the mirror. by ten thirty i was out the door with my bag on my shoulder after i knocked on the bathroom door to let my mom know i was leaving while she showered.
feeling pretty good about my outfit and even better about the way my hair had decided to behave that morning, i started up my ford and headed toward the gas station with the radio turned up loud, humming along to songs i vaguely recognized.
the heat was already settling in for the day but i did my best not to let it ruin my mood or my excitement over getting a few hours away from my dad's watchful eye.
every day i passed the silver lake motel, i’d glance over knowing his bike wouldn’t be there, but still, i looked. at that point, i'd pretty much convinced myself that a chance encounter with a guy like michael wasn't something that happened twice in a lifetime.
i'd spent far too much time replaying the whole thing in my head, wondering if i should've flirted a little more, asked for his number or at least learned something about him. but there wasn't much point torturing myself over something that had happened nearly a week ago.
before getting out of the car, i touched up my lashes with a coat of mascara, added a little blush, a subtle swipe of eyeliner and some lip gloss. then i pulled on the oversized station shirt that was like three sizes too big.
joey, the manager from one of my family's other gas stations, was already there when i walked into the store. he was a family man, a little taller than me, greeting me with a friendly smile and a nod while holding a coke in one hand and proudly wearing his station uniform.
“hey, joey." i said, dropping my bag on the usual counter.
“hi, viv." he answered without looking up, focused on scribbling something into a notebook. “been a minute, how are classes goin'?"
that threw me a little bit, answering right away to not make it obvious. “good.” i said, taking some change from my wallet. “better than ever. how are you?”
"oh, can't complain. was a little surprised your daddy asked me to come over here today, this has always been my favorite station." he smiled up at me and i smiled back, straightening the oversized shirt over my torso.
“you mind stayin’ inside while i handle the pumps?” i asked, heading to the door. being cooped up indoors all day always made me feel restless, so when he agreed without hesitation, my mood improved even more.
by eleven o'clock, the sun was hot enough to melt the pavement. most of our customers had known me for years, even before i officially started working there, so helping them out and earning tips came easy. matt and the other new guy handled tires, oil changes and gas whenever things got busy.
with the weather being what it was, i couldn't help appreciating the fact that i wasn't wearing the pants my father insisted on the rest of the time.
when it quieted, i leaned on a pump for a long drink of cold water, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. i didn't even get five minutes of peace before a familiar red car pulled up in front of me. the passenger window rolled down and my friend carol’s bright face popped out.
after a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she perched on the pump beside me fanning herself with one hand. her light brown hair barely moved in the thick heat.
“so, what you say?” she asked, smiling. i made a little face. "oh come on, viv. you know i've always wanted us to go on a double date."
"can't it be friday night instead?" i asked. "my dad won't let me leave early tonight and y'know that."
she sighed and thought it over for a second before crossing her arms over her white lace trimmed top.
"fine, i'll tell garrett tomorrow night instead. but i wanna see you there, hear me?"
i nodded, forcing a small smile. “deal.”
she squealed and wrapped me in a quick hug. “you’re the best. see ya tomorrow night then.”
before driving off, she blew me a kiss from the car and i waved. once she was on the highway i let out a long sigh, there was no way of getting out of this plan. and it wasn’t even the bar or that carol wanted to go out with me and her new guy, it was something worse. or someone.
after lunch, the rest of the afternoon passed by faster than i expected. by four, we were down to a single customer having trouble with his tires and matt went to help him while a few people sat inside eating hot dogs.
i was standing near pump three, carefully coiling one of the hoses when i heard the roar of a motorcycle engine approaching. i squinted into the sun to try to see, my heart racing when i recognized the harley pulling into pump two. god, it had to be him.
when i finished coiling the hose as quickly as i could, i adjusted the loose shirt and unbuttoned a couple small buttons at my chest of my blouse to show a bit of neckline. once i felt reasonably put together, i cleared my throat and headed over at him.
those long, dark curls greeted me first. he was bent over the bike with his back to me as he inspected something on the motorcycle. he wore the same heavy boots as last time with tight black pants, a leather belt and a red shirt beneath a black jacket trimmed with white details.
i bit the inside of my cheek before breaking the silence.
“need some assistance, sir?” i asked in my sweetest tone.
it looked like my voice pulled him out of his bubble. he turned his head first and then the rest of his body. a crooked smile tugged at his lips and i couldn't help looking at one dark curl that had fallen across his forehead, brushing against the frame of his sunglasses.
“i’d just like yours, actually.” his velvet voice on each word made me want press my lips together to hold a smile back. but i just laughed softly.
“well, it’s your lucky day.” i raised my shoulders. “what’s wrong?”
"it's been makin' this little noise." he said, resting a hand on the seat. "thought i'd take a look and make sure everything’s okay. think i could borrow a toolbox for a minute?"
“uh yeah. hold on.” i turned and searched for one of the guys. one of them had just stepped over to pump three when i whistled to get his attention. “hey, you… uh, clark? yeah, you, can you bring the toolbox? it’s under the counter.”
when i looked back at michael, i smiled as though i hadn't just shouted across half the station.
"you seem... pretty in charge around here." he added, taking off his sunglasses and letting me see the dark liner in his waterline.
“i technically am.” i took a couple of steps closer, though not too close. “my dad’s the gas station owner.”
michael seemed to think about that for a moment like he was trying to remember. “is he the man that…?”
“yeah.” i cut him off, knowing it’d been a memorable first impression. “he’s just like that, i’m not proud of it.”
he shrugged lightly as he gave me another precious smile. "well… that's not such a bad thing. i kinda like bossy girls."
for a second his eyes dropped to my chest, then back to mine. he slowly wiped a corner of his lip with his thumb to then rest his hand on the bike again. dear lord.
i gave him the same smile back, not being sure of what answer should i pick. i never overthought when someone interested me and now i wanted to be ready so i wouldn’t look crazy.
"thought you'd headed back home to go after those. wherever that is." i teased.
"yeah, indiana's a little too far away for that."
i took a mental note that he was from indiana. it was not much information but definitely more than i'd had before.
"well, you disappeared. figured i'd never see you around here again." maybe i purred a bit too much, but it worked because his gaze dropped to my chest before meeting my gaze again.
"and that would've been a shame?" his eyebrow lifted just a little.
"maybe.” i shrugged, trying to look far more relaxed than i felt. “my other theory was that you had been murdered in that motel.”
i noticed him pressing his lips together and licking them to hold back another chuckle.
“it’s not that bad. i’ve definitely stayed in worst places.”
it was me the one who raised an eyebrow this time, making me wonder if he traveled a lot. “that so?”
instead of explaining himself, he added: “you know, i wouldn’t leave this place without...”
“sorry!” clark’s breathless voice cut him off, making both of us turn at him. he’d run over carrying the toolbox, apologizing for taking so long and explaining he'd had trouble finding it. i thanked him and told him to take a break, feeling bad michael might actually think i was bossy.
michael set the toolbox on the ground before crouching beside the motorcycle to take a look underneath. i didn’t want to interrupt but i also wanted him to remember what he was gonna say while i had his attention. "need me to bring you anything else?"
he looked up, shifting so i could sit beside him. “i could use some company.”
another smile pulled at my lips, licking my lower one. i was about to sit down when one of our regular customers rolled in with a large truck and parked at pump four. matt and clark were still occupied with the tire customer, which meant the truck was my problem. i cursed silently. if i left now, maybe he’d be gone again.
"could you just wait a minute? i gotta go help that truck."
he glanced over his shoulder before looking back at me. "yeah, sure. i'll be here."
that answer eased my nerves a little, though i wasn’t sure he’d keep his word.
i practically ran to mr. robinson’s truck, buttoning my big work shirt to cover my neckline. joey also came outside to help since mr. robinson needed a large fill-up and wanted to talk about some replacement parts he ordered and never arrived.
every now and then i caught myself glancing back toward michael to make sure he was still there. each time, i'd find him sitting by the bike, adjusting something or checking the tires and i'd force myself to focus on the problem my dad had left us to deal with, a problem he hadn't even bothered calling about all day. honestly, that was probably better for everyone.
joey sorted the parts issue and about forty minutes later, i found myself heading back to michael, now parked in front of the convenience store holding the toolbox. the sky was darkening and a breeze blew our hair, he'd removed his jacket and draped it over the motorcycle.
"sorry about that." i said once i reached him. "he's one of my dad's important customers."
"that's alright, i don’t mind waitin'. i wanted to."
he carefully handed me the box back, murmuring a soft thanks as i took it and set it aside on the pavement, dusting my hands. only then did i notice the bandages still wrapped around his fingers.
“you were gonna say somethin’ before my employee interrupted…” i started saying. not fully leaned on the bike, he curved his lips at my comment.
"what i was gonna say is that i wouldn't leave without askin' if you'd like to go ridin' with me."
suddenly, my mouth felt dry as i tried not to seem obvious.
“…right now?” a little laugh escaped him.
"if that's what you'd like." fuck, he couldn’t do that to me.
i glanced at the clock hanging inside the store: it was almost six. i still had a couple of hours of work and i hated the world in that moment. then i looked back at him, not sure of how he'd take it.
“i’d love to but i can’t just leave work. my dad would kill me.” i’d never felt stupider. all the confidence i’d kept for years suddenly seemed to crumb when those words left my mouth.
michael nodded and slowly sat up from his bike. “how would saturday sound?"
without thinking twice, i nodded like a fool, smiling wider at his offer.
“saturday sounds good." i muttered.
a pleased smile curved his lips and he stepped in closer than he had before, making me notice our height difference. he was just a few inches taller, still, it made a difference. i tried to even my breath so it wouldn’t hit his skin and show how i fluttered.
his hands touched the button on my loose shop shirt and slowly opened it more to show the small bit of chest i’d revealed earlier. “you should wear it more like this. i like it better.” he murmured and turned to climb onto the motorcycle after looking straight into my eyes for a moment.
i stood there, caressing the button he’d touched with my thumb, watching him ride off like a bullet. i didn't know how long i stayed trying to process it. i finally exhaled, realizing i’d been holding my breath again.
“holy shit.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
n/a: i enjoyed writing this chapter so much and you guys have no idea of how fast i finished it bc i was really inspired. can’t wait for you to see what’s gonna happen on the next chapter mehehe
also, if you’d like to get notified whenever i post a new chapter, remember to comment below to be added to my taglist ❕ requests will be closed soon
𝓽aglist:
@1lvie , @pyt03 , @gissellec1 , @beesonnets , @tojiswifeforlife , @triippy2hiippie , @maria111444 , @oopsalltropes , @rosali3show
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀ TAGLIST ⠀ ⋆𐙚 ̊.
leave a comment below if you’d like to be tagged on every new chapter of my fanfic WANTED (click to read the first chapter). i’m already working on the second chapter so lmk if you want to get notified whenever i post one ❕ remember you must be 18+ due to mature content
for the lovely people who already requested to be added there’s no need to comment again <3 please make sure your tags are on
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ WANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
summary: 1988. falling for michael jackson was probably the worst mistake she ever made. there was something wrong with him and she knew it from the start. but maybe that’s why she kept finding herself waiting for the sound of his motorcycle every day.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ CHAPTER 1.
the same songs playing over and over on the radio made me yawn as i flipped through the pages of a magazine. i was sitting on the counter behind the register with one leg crossed over the other, reaching for the radio beside me to switch stations and hopefully find something different.
outside, moths kept throwing themselves against the neon station sign. by ten, the highway usually went quiet. it was never too quiet to drown out my father, though. he was in the garage behind the station, yelling at one of the mechanics over a transmission they’d been working on since the afternoon.
every few minutes, the metal clanged against the concrete followed by his voice echoing through the whole place. i tried to ignore it, forcing myself to focus on the music while i skimmed through the fashion section of the magazine, my cheek resting against my manicured hand.
the only other employee working the late shift, matt, sat outside near pump three smoking a cigarette and pretending to clean the windshield buckets while his radio played quietly beside him. nobody wanted to be there this late anyway.
my dad had insisted on putting me on closing shifts since he found out i hated waking up early. i had insisted on getting a normal job somewhere far away from the family business but of course, he refused. according to him, i still had a lot to learn about the station before i could do anything else. i knew that would never happen.
i was halfway through doodling nonsense in the magazine margins when bright headlights suddenly swept across the windows. the sound of a motorcycle pulled my attention away from the page as a black harley rolled into the station and stopped beside pump three where matt was standing. those kind of loud guys were this place’s everyday occurrence.
i turned my attention back to the magazine just a second after, absentmindedly reading about the movie releases playing this week at the theater. without being aware of how much time had passed, i was nearly done with the article when the bell above the front door rang.
that made me look up, my eye caught the shape of someone dressed in dark clothes and heavy boots walking inside. i could hear the sound of them against the floor as he moved through the aisles.
a moment later, i was able to look properly.
he stood in front of the drinks fridge with one hand holding the glass door open while he searched through the shelves. the white lights reflected off the leather of his jacket and when he reached for a bottle, the rings and bracelets covering his fingers and wrists immediately clinked around the cold glass.
afterward, he wandered down another aisle, grabbing a pack of gum and something that looked like an aspirin before making his way toward the counter.
up close, he looked older than i’d first thought but not old exactly, just probably older than me, maybe grown was the word i was looking for. he had a sharp jawline, messy dark curls falling around his face from beneath the helmet tucked under one arm and bandages wrapped around a few of his fingers near bruised knuckles. a hot man like him was definitely not from here.
i closed the magazine as he stopped in front of the register and set everything down between us. when i finally looked him in the eyes, i almost forgot what i was doing.
big brown eyes lined with black eyeliner stared back at me. i forced myself to reach for the orange juice bottle first, scanning it when he spoke.
“pump three too.”
his voice was smoother than i expected. it was soft and low but somehow it still sounded very masculine.
trying not to act like i’d noticed any of those things, i nodded and typed the pump number into the register before scanning the rest of his things.
“twenty seven fifty.” i said after a minute.
he pulled a few bills from his jacket pocket and handed them to me. while i counted his change after taking the money, i could still feel him watching me across the counter.
when i glanced up again, his gaze briefly wandered around the station before settling back on me.
“you know if there’s a motel around here?” he asked.
i glanced toward the window, thinking for an instant while i stood up slightly. “yeah, there’s one about ten minutes down the highway.” i then sat back down on the counter as i closed the cash tray. “it’s called silver something. silver lake, i think.”
he nodded slowly, lips pressing together as if he was debating whether it was worth a shot or not. i then rested both elbows on the counter while the receipt printed.
“you’d probably be better off sleeping on your bike though.” i teased lightly.
a quiet laugh slipped past his lips. “is it that bad?”
i shrugged. “just saying what i’ve heard.”
he huffed another small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “still might be better than driving all night.”
although, if he was looking for a place to sleep, he didn’t exactly look tired. if anything, he looked maybe too awake for being almost eleven.
i handed him the receipt once i remembered it and our fingers brushed for half a second when he took it from me. it was way more noticeable than it should’ve been.
“viviana.” he read aloud from the receipt.
the way he said it suddenly made me aware of how close he was leaning over the counter. i nodded, not being sure if i should’ve asked his name.
when he didn’t immediately leave, i started fiddling with the magazine again just to have something to do with my hands. mostly because i was already stressed because my father could walk in and start a fight for absolutely no reason. i believed he looked exactly like the kind of person my dad would instantly hate.
“so you’re not from here…” i said after a second while searching under the counter for a plastic bag.
“michael.” he completed my sentance with a grin before adding. “i was hoping it wasn’t that obvious.”
“kinda. i don’t really think anyone from this town owns a motorcycle like that.”
i finally found a wrinkled white plastic bag with the station logo on it and gently placed his things inside before placing it on the counter again, he didn’t take it immediately.
he glanced out the window toward the motorcycle parked under the lights and smirked proudly. “you like it?”
i scrunched my nose slightly before taking a sip from my water bottle. “don’t know. it’s loud.”
“yeah, that’s kind of the point.” he replied as he leaned an elbow against the counter. “girls usually like that.”
i raised an eyebrow when i caught his tone. “guess you’re talking about the girls wherever you come from.”
that made him smile. and god, it was unfairly pretty. he had perfect teeth, a perfect pair of lips and a kind of beauty my brain couldn’t fully process. for a second, i wondered if he knew how pretty that smile was.
“thought i was making a great first impression.” he said.
i pressed my lips together to stop myself from smiling too much. “still time to turn it around.”
he stayed quiet for a few seconds after that but somehow, it felt longer. he already had his stuff and every reason to leave, yet he stayed leaning against the counter looking at me, maybe enjoying our conversation way more than he expected.
i hated how much i liked looking back at him.
“you here all alone?” i leaned back slightly in my chair and raised an eyebrow at him. michael almost smiled at the look i gave him. “what?”
“interesting choice of question.”
he scoffed softly. “i was just asking.” before i could answer, the back door suddenly slammed open.
i flinched slightly in my chair as my dad’s voice exploded through the station, michael turned toward the noise immediately. my dad stormed through the doorway still yelling at the exhausted mechanic trailing behind him.
“and i ain’t paying a damn cent to you or your fucking boss.” he snapped, growling each word. “i told you to check the damn transmission before putting it back in!”
i rubbed a hand over my face, already used to this by now, just not in front of customers. i just heard the mechanic’s footsteps hurried outside while my father followed after him.
“you hear me?” he shouted again before the front door slammed shut behind them, leaving the station quiet once more.
that probably answered michael’s question. but he didn’t comment on it, even when i finally looked back up again and i internally thanked him for that.
michael then pushed himself away from the counter, folding the receipt into his pocket before adjusting the helmet under his arm.
“well, thanks for the motel recommendation. i appreciate that.”
“just don’t blame me if something terrible happens there.”
he smiled again. “i won’t.”
just like that, he turned and walked out.
i followed him with my eyes through the large front window. his boots hit the pavement as he crossed the parking lot toward the motorcycle and he slipped the helmet back on, hiding those dark curls beneath it, started the engine and disappeared down the highway just a few seconds later, leaving behind nothing but exhaust smoke.
for some reason, i let out a slow breath once he was completely gone like i’d been holding it the entire time.
later, after i finished counting the register, my dad settled into his usual spot beside the office doorway with a cup of coffee and the local paper spread across his lap. an old football rerun played quietly from the tv mounted in the corner, though he wasn’t really watching it.
every now and then he flipped a page too aggressively or muttered under his breath at whatever headline had pissed him off this time.
“you locked the beer fridge?” he asked without looking up.
i grabbed my bag from beneath the counter. “yeah.”
“front door too.”
“i know.”
he asked those stupid questions like i hadn’t been doing the exact same thing every night for the last two years.
i shut off the lights near the aisles and headed outside, locking the station behind me before crossing the parking lot toward my car. it was a black ’79 ford mustang i’d saved from a junkyard. i didn’t even care where i got it from, honestly, i just wanted to stop driving my dad’s old chevrolet truck every day, so i bought one of the cheapest cars they had available even thought i still had to fix a few things.
once inside, i tossed my bag onto the passenger seat and sat there for a moment with my hands resting on the steering wheel, staring out at the empty pumps through the windshield before i started the engine and pulled onto the highway.
most nights, i drove home half asleep while thinking about showering and collapsing into bed before having to wake up and do the exact same thing again tomorrow.
but tonight my mind kept drifting somewhere else entirely. no matter how hard i tried to focus on the road, my thoughts kept pulling me back to that stranger. i hated that i couldn’t stop replaying the exact moment his eyes met mine, my brain had decided to trap itself there. i’d just never seen a face like his before and now i couldn’t stop wondering if i’d ever see him again.
a few minutes later, the silver lake motel appeared beside the highway with its flickering vacancy sign glowing weakly. i barely looked at it at first but then i noticed his motorcycle parked outside one of the downstairs rooms.
my foot almost eased off the gas without me meaning to. still, i kept driving until the motel disappeared completely in the rearview mirror.
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n/a: i’m sorry if this chapter feels a little short or not that special 😭 it’s mostly just a basic introduction because i really wanna build things up properly and make the slowburn worth it, i promise the second chapter will be more exciting tho!! love yall
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 𝓦͟ANTED ོ ☼ 𓂃
type: fanfic
genres: dark romance, crime, drama, angst, southern gothic, smut, fanfiction
pairing: criminal!michael jackson x fem!oc
‼️ disclaimer: 18+ only due to mature themes ahead. this story contains fictional depictions of crime, violence, weapons, toxic relationships and sexual content. none of the behaviors portrayed are condoned or meant to be romanticized in real life. minors do not interact.
summary: 1988. falling for michael jackson was probably the worst mistake she ever made. there was something wrong with him and she knew it from the start. but maybe that’s why she kept finding herself waiting for the sound of his motorcycle every day.
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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ CHAPTER 1.
the same songs playing over and over on the radio made me yawn as i flipped through the pages of a magazine. i was sitting on the counter behind the register with one leg crossed over the other, reaching for the radio beside me to switch stations and hopefully find something different.
outside, moths kept throwing themselves against the neon station sign. by ten, the highway usually went quiet. it was never too quiet to drown out my father, though. he was in the garage behind the station, yelling at one of the mechanics over a transmission they’d been working on since the afternoon.
every few minutes, the metal clanged against the concrete followed by his voice echoing through the whole place. i tried to ignore it, forcing myself to focus on the music while i skimmed through the fashion section of the magazine, my cheek resting against my manicured hand.
the only other employee working the late shift, matt, sat outside near pump three smoking a cigarette and pretending to clean the windshield buckets while his radio played quietly beside him. nobody wanted to be there this late anyway.
my dad had insisted on putting me on closing shifts since he found out i hated waking up early. i had insisted on getting a normal job somewhere far away from the family business but of course, he refused. according to him, i still had a lot to learn about the station before i could do anything else. i knew that would never happen.
i was halfway through doodling nonsense in the magazine margins when bright headlights suddenly swept across the windows. the sound of a motorcycle pulled my attention away from the page as a black harley rolled into the station and stopped beside pump three where matt was standing. those kind of loud guys were this place’s everyday occurrence.
i turned my attention back to the magazine just a second after, absentmindedly reading about the movie releases playing this week at the theater. without being aware of how much time had passed, i was nearly done with the article when the bell above the front door rang.
that made me look up, my eye caught the shape of someone dressed in dark clothes and heavy boots walking inside. i could hear the sound of them against the floor as he moved through the aisles.
a moment later, i was able to look properly.
he stood in front of the drinks fridge with one hand holding the glass door open while he searched through the shelves. the white lights reflected off the leather of his jacket and when he reached for a bottle, the rings and bracelets covering his fingers and wrists immediately clinked around the cold glass.
afterward, he wandered down another aisle, grabbing a pack of gum and something that looked like an aspirin before making his way toward the counter.
up close, he looked older than i’d first thought but not old exactly, just probably older than me, maybe grown was the word i was looking for. he had a sharp jawline, messy dark curls falling around his face from beneath the helmet tucked under one arm and bandages wrapped around a few of his fingers near bruised knuckles. a hot man like him was definitely not from here.
i closed the magazine as he stopped in front of the register and set everything down between us. when i finally looked him in the eyes, i almost forgot what i was doing.
big brown eyes lined with black eyeliner stared back at me. i forced myself to reach for the orange juice bottle first, scanning it when he spoke.
“pump three too.”
his voice was smoother than i expected. it was soft and low but somehow it still sounded very masculine.
trying not to act like i’d noticed any of those things, i nodded and typed the pump number into the register before scanning the rest of his things.
“twenty seven fifty.” i said after a minute.
he pulled a few bills from his jacket pocket and handed them to me. while i counted his change after taking the money, i could still feel him watching me across the counter.
when i glanced up again, his gaze briefly wandered around the station before settling back on me.
“you know if there’s a motel around here?” he asked.
i glanced toward the window, thinking for an instant while i stood up slightly. “yeah, there’s one about ten minutes down the highway.” i then sat back down on the counter as i closed the cash tray. “it’s called silver something. silver lake, i think.”
he nodded slowly, lips pressing together as if he was debating whether it was worth a shot or not. i then rested both elbows on the counter while the receipt printed.
“you’d probably be better off sleeping on your bike though.” i teased lightly.
a quiet laugh slipped past his lips. “is it that bad?”
i shrugged. “just saying what i’ve heard.”
he huffed another small laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “still might be better than driving all night.”
although, if he was looking for a place to sleep, he didn’t exactly look tired. if anything, he looked maybe too awake for being almost eleven.
i handed him the receipt once i remembered it and our fingers brushed for half a second when he took it from me. it was way more noticeable than it should’ve been.
“viviana.” he read aloud from the receipt.
the way he said it suddenly made me aware of how close he was leaning over the counter. i nodded, not being sure if i should’ve asked his name.
when he didn’t immediately leave, i started fiddling with the magazine again just to have something to do with my hands. mostly because i was already stressed because my father could walk in and start a fight for absolutely no reason. i believed he looked exactly like the kind of person my dad would instantly hate.
“so you’re not from here…” i said after a second while searching under the counter for a plastic bag.
“michael.” he completed my sentance with a grin before adding. “i was hoping it wasn’t that obvious.”
“kinda. i don’t really think anyone from this town owns a motorcycle like that.”
i finally found a wrinkled white plastic bag with the station logo on it and gently placed his things inside before placing it on the counter again, he didn’t take it immediately.
he glanced out the window toward the motorcycle parked under the lights and smirked proudly. “you like it?”
i scrunched my nose slightly before taking a sip from my water bottle. “don’t know. it’s loud.”
“yeah, that’s kind of the point.” he replied as he leaned an elbow against the counter. “girls usually like that.”
i raised an eyebrow when i caught his tone. “guess you’re talking about the girls wherever you come from.”
that made him smile. and god, it was unfairly pretty. he had perfect teeth, a perfect pair of lips and a kind of beauty my brain couldn’t fully process. for a second, i wondered if he knew how pretty that smile was.
“thought i was making a great first impression.” he said.
i pressed my lips together to stop myself from smiling too much. “still time to turn it around.”
he stayed quiet for a few seconds after that but somehow, it felt longer. he already had his stuff and every reason to leave, yet he stayed leaning against the counter looking at me, maybe enjoying our conversation way more than he expected.
i hated how much i liked looking back at him.
“you here all alone?” i leaned back slightly in my chair and raised an eyebrow at him. michael almost smiled at the look i gave him. “what?”
“interesting choice of question.”
he scoffed softly. “i was just asking.” before i could answer, the back door suddenly slammed open.
i flinched slightly in my chair as my dad’s voice exploded through the station, michael turned toward the noise immediately. my dad stormed through the doorway still yelling at the exhausted mechanic trailing behind him.
“and i ain’t paying a damn cent to you or your fucking boss.” he snapped, growling each word. “i told you to check the damn transmission before putting it back in!”
i rubbed a hand over my face, already used to this by now, just not in front of customers. i just heard the mechanic’s footsteps hurried outside while my father followed after him.
“you hear me?” he shouted again before the front door slammed shut behind them, leaving the station quiet once more.
that probably answered michael’s question. but he didn’t comment on it, even when i finally looked back up again and i internally thanked him for that.
michael then pushed himself away from the counter, folding the receipt into his pocket before adjusting the helmet under his arm.
“well, thanks for the motel recommendation. i appreciate that.”
“just don’t blame me if something terrible happens there.”
he smiled again. “i won’t.”
just like that, he turned and walked out.
i followed him with my eyes through the large front window. his boots hit the pavement as he crossed the parking lot toward the motorcycle and he slipped the helmet back on, hiding those dark curls beneath it, started the engine and disappeared down the highway just a few seconds later, leaving behind nothing but exhaust smoke.
for some reason, i let out a slow breath once he was completely gone like i’d been holding it the entire time.
later, after i finished counting the register, my dad settled into his usual spot beside the office doorway with a cup of coffee and the local paper spread across his lap. an old football rerun played quietly from the tv mounted in the corner, though he wasn’t really watching it.
every now and then he flipped a page too aggressively or muttered under his breath at whatever headline had pissed him off this time.
“you locked the beer fridge?” he asked without looking up.
i grabbed my bag from beneath the counter. “yeah.”
“front door too.”
“i know.”
he asked those stupid questions like i hadn’t been doing the exact same thing every night for the last two years.
i shut off the lights near the aisles and headed outside, locking the station behind me before crossing the parking lot toward my car. it was a black ’79 ford mustang i’d saved from a junkyard. i didn’t even care where i got it from, honestly, i just wanted to stop driving my dad’s old chevrolet truck every day, so i bought one of the cheapest cars they had available even thought i still had to fix a few things.
once inside, i tossed my bag onto the passenger seat and sat there for a moment with my hands resting on the steering wheel, staring out at the empty pumps through the windshield before i started the engine and pulled onto the highway.
most nights, i drove home half asleep while thinking about showering and collapsing into bed before having to wake up and do the exact same thing again tomorrow.
but tonight my mind kept drifting somewhere else entirely. no matter how hard i tried to focus on the road, my thoughts kept pulling me back to that stranger. i hated that i couldn’t stop replaying the exact moment his eyes met mine, my brain had decided to trap itself there. i’d just never seen a face like his before and now i couldn’t stop wondering if i’d ever see him again.
a few minutes later, the silver lake motel appeared beside the highway with its flickering vacancy sign glowing weakly. i barely looked at it at first but then i noticed his motorcycle parked outside one of the downstairs rooms.
my foot almost eased off the gas without me meaning to. still, i kept driving until the motel disappeared completely in the rearview mirror.
⠀⠀ ┃ ⠀⠀click to read ⠀⠀CHAPTER 2
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ༻༺
n/a: i’m sorry if this chapter feels a little short or not that special 😭 it’s mostly just a basic introduction because i really wanna build things up properly and make the slowburn worth it, i promise the second chapter will be more exciting tho!! love yall